Demon Bounty Hunter
by sakurademonalchemist
Summary: Sam wasn't the only one Azazel dosed with his blood. His twin brother, Gabriel, was infected too...and left for dead in the middle of a civil war in England! Now Gabriel is back and working for the King of the Crossroads as his personal bounty hunter. Can the Winchester brothers reconnect, or will Gabriel's occupation drive them apart? Loki/Gabriel
1. Chapter 1

Two brothers. Born on the same day with nearly the same face. However their fates were not the same.

Sam, the older of the twins, would remain with their older brother and father and become a hunter. Gabriel, the younger twin, would be taken from their home the day their mother died and left for dead on the steps of a childless couple's home to be raised as their son.

This story's beginning takes place eighteen years after his disappearance from America...and the events that would lead to him finding his twin all over again.

* * *

Harry Potter was a broken man. His friends and once family had abandoned him the moment they learned that he might not be the one the prophecy spoke of to kill Voldemort once and for all. To make matters worse, the goblins had completely cut him off from his vaults, saying that he didn't actually own them as a muggleborn.

Fortunately he had removed most of his trust vault the day before the truth came out, so he wasn't completely broke. And he knew how to earn even more cash without spending all of his own.

He merely hit a branch of the bank, one that didn't know about him or the fact he was no longer considered a Potter. He had them convert his muggle cash to gold bullion, then left the bank, converted all that gold back into pounds, before repeating the process. Thanks to the fact that the Ministry didn't let the goblins update according to times, the number of bullion he gained for his gold more than made up for what he lost. By the time the Gringotts branches caught onto his trick, he had left all his money with the gnomes in Switzerland through an intermediary under his actual name.

Winchester. The Ministry and the Death Eaters who ran it would never get their hands on their precious gold now, and Harry had drained every bank he had hit dry of their gold supply. Goblins made galleons with gold bullion. After Harry hit their branch banks, they were running very low...and after he hit Gringotts last he had walked out with nearly their entire supply available.

When the goblins figured out what he had done, they had tipped their hat to the wizard for playing such a trick on them and getting away with it clean.

The moment his former friends learned he wasn't a half-blood, but a muggleborn like Granger, most had abandoned him, and those that didn't had been killed when he was captured. Most, if not all, that remained of his school friends had jumped ship and were now trying to sweeten their way into Neville's camp.

It was little consolation that Neville, when he heard what happened, had kicked them all out without hesitation. He hadn't spent those years at Hogwarts with his head up his ass...he had seen how they treated Harry, and he wanted nothing to do with them. They had ignored him as the weakling and the disaster until they found out they could use him, and he wanted no part of it.

Harry coughed painfully. After the abandonment by everyone, including the girl he had fallen for despite their shared origins, he had fallen into such a deep depression that the only enjoyment Voldemort could get from him now was to hear his pained screams as the cruciatus tore his nerve endings apart piece by painful piece.

He was considered the communal torture toy for new Death Eaters, and there were so many marked now...he had lost count at two hundred... that the only saving grace he could possibly hope for was death.

"Well, well, well...what have we here?" said a cultured British accent.

Harry coughed up a bit of blood.

"Another one? What does this make now, two hundred fifty?" he said tiredly.

The voice chuckled. It was a dark sound.

"You still have spirit I see. Or is it that you could care less by now and only wish for death? Tell me, Harry Potter...or should I say Gabriel Winchester? What would you do to be free?" asked the voice.

"Who do you want dead?"

"That's the kind of spirit I like. Here's the deal wizard. These idiot Death Eaters have all but won this war, and most of them are trying to renege on the deals they made. Now as the King of the Crossroads, I can't exactly have that. So what sort of deal would you make to earn your freedom and get your revenge?"

Harry...no, this wasn't Harry Potter. Harry Potter died after his so called friends kicked him to the curb once they found out he had been adopted. This was Gabriel Winchester and he was pissed as hell.

"What do you want demon?"

"Oh no, the question is what you want Winchester. See I can't force them to keep up their end of the deal without someone making a bargain first. That's the catch-22 of demon deals...the only way to collect before their time is up is to make another deal," said Crowley, for that was his name.

Gabriel looked at the amused demon right in the eye and laid out his terms. This wasn't the Golden Gryff right now...this was the snake that had hidden behind the facade of his lion's hide. This was the reason why the hat had wanted to place him in Slytherin oh so many years ago.

"Very well demon. I want my health back, these damn scars removed except for the ones I earned myself, and a front row seat to their demise. How many souls will that earn you?" he asked.

"Oh? What makes you think I wouldn't take them all once the deal is struck and your own as well?"

"I know about demon deals. They have several loopholes, and with the power vacuum I'll be leaving behind me once this is done, you and your kind will have all sorts of fresh soil to plant your seeds in. So I want to make a deal we can both benefit from. For every soul I help you gain, I get one favor. Equivalent exchange and all that rot," said Gabriel.

Crowley laughed coldly. He liked this human! It would be interesting to see him fall from heaven's grace and into the pit...maybe he could make a half-way decent lackey in the process.

"And to add to the pot, I'll even help you get several contracts early. See I don't plan on living on the gold I stole legally from the goblins early. I want something to kill time until my own is up..."

"You'd become a demon's lackey?" asked Crowley eagerly.

"Not lackey. I prefer the term bounty hunter. As in you give me the names and locations of people trying to renege on their contracts, and I'll waltz right past their protected areas for you and terminate their contract without you wasting your time. In exchange you pay me cash equivalent the number of days they had left. Fair?"

Oh Crowley liked this human. He knew the rules of the game and he was determined to earn every inch. And the idea of a demon's bounty hunter did sound very appealing...they could collect contracts without having to wait so long.

And best of all it had all sorts of opportunities to turn this human into prime demon material later! Even if they didn't get his soul, they might get him anyway!

"So do we have a bargain wizard? Your health, all the real marks of your adventures and a front row seat to the end of Riddle? And in exchange you'll even get a few demon favors free of charge and a job," said Crowley.

"We have an accord demon," said Gabriel.

Crowley shook his hand, and Gabriel felt years fall off him. The shackles and spells fell off him like broken chains, and everything that had been done to him was removed.

He looked years younger, less like a thirty-year-old and more like the twenty-year-old he was.

Crowley traced his lightning shaped scar and Gabriel heard the piece of Voldemort scream as the demon yanked it out painlessly.

"Oh I'm going to have fun watching you break," he said to the phylactery.

He put it away in a jar and took Gabriel to see the current battle between Voldemort and what was left of the Order.

* * *

He watched dispassionately as hellhounds came out of the pit to rend anyone with a Mark to pieces. Hermione, the woman he had fallen in love with and watched abandon him without hesitation, saw him on the edge of the battlefield and knew he was the cause.

Several witches and wizards tried to corner him, expecting him to claim credit. Instead he gave them all a _Look_, saying without words what he thought of them and their precious society.

"You treated me like your savior, your scapegoat, and then you dump me once you find out I'm really a muggleborn adopted into the Potter family. Keep your precious_ magic_ and I hope you all enjoy the deaths of those you caused when you abandoned me. I renounce England and all your communities stand for... Good riddance to you, you bloody sheep," he said coldly.

"Harry...what have you done?"

"Harry? Harry died the day you left him broken in that ditch to be captured by Riddle and his minions. I am the Angel of Judgment, and I judge you all as guilty," he spat.

Crowley liked Gabriel's flare for the dramatic. Anyone who read the bible knew that particular angel was the arch angel Gabriel. He had given them all the clue they would ever need to find him.

"Enjoy your reward?" asked Crowley.

"Absolutely. Shall we leave these sheep behind for the wolves to feed on?" asked Gabriel.

Crowley cackled carelessly as they vanished. He picked up a white stone and the bone white wand for Gabriel though. He had earned them legally when he made the deal that killed Riddle and his lackeys.

* * *

Gabriel found a certain satisfaction earning a living as a bounty hunter. He had gone to the FBI's main building after looking up where to ask how to become a legal bounty hunter. They had given him a form, a week long test to prove he was of sound mind and body and could handle a gun reasonably, and given him a nice shiny badge, an ID number and a password to the FBI's most wanted list.

The feds tolerated bounty hunters, mostly because it meant that they got their targets without risking important personnel in the process. It was worth losing a bounty hunter if they got to keep even one agent.

Almost immediately he was swamped with new targets...then he found out that one of them had a demon contract that was nearly up and had an idea.

For the cost of a small favor, Crowley gave him all the names and details of those with demon contracts. Gabriel compared them to the federal database and got several hits. Being a demon's bounty hunter became far easier when you could get twice the payday. Grinning, he went after the first on the list.

Vincent Blake. 35, divorced, had a sudden success that went sour after his wife cut ties with him and stole most of his cash, trying his hardest to get back on top before the contract was up. Had three years left. Problem was that he was tied to several drug cartels and had attracted the cops attention. Had a 50,000 dollar bounty on his head alive, thirty if dead. An extra five if the hunter brought in any information leading to the arrest of at least one cartel.

The idiot made a demon deal, and he wasn't that interested in the cash.

A few new guns (all Winchester make because he was big on irony) and several enchantments later, and he was ready to go.

He busted down the door with a good kick and a blasting hex, shot three bean bag rounds in quick succession (he had spent most of the month preparing and learning how to shoot rapidly with a shotgun) and the man went down. Gabriel didn't hesitate to hit him with a full-body bind so he could securely tie him up without getting attacked in the process, then he smirked evilly as he informed him that due to his incompetence that his contract was now up.

All he had to do was lace the computer with some fake files of child pornography and the inmates in whatever hellhole prison he landed in would do the rest. Even someone with no experience with the legal system knew that those who targeted children didn't last long in prison.

Gabriel walked out with more cash than he had gone in with, and a quick transfer to his account in Switzerland meant he didn't have to worry about any of it being taken. His wallet was the same one Hagrid (one of the rare, rare few who stayed by his side even after the truth came out) had given him one year, armed with a charm courtesy of the gnomes that would allow him to withdraw from his account directly.

He heard later from Crowley that his target died the second he had given up his contacts. Very mysterious, as some sort of unidentifiable snake venom had been found in his body...very slow acting and extremely painful. In return he left three thousand dollars in his gnome-run account. A thousand for each year left, and in the case of months it went down to a hundred.

Gabriel found himself with a unique situation. With his job as a bounty hunter, his old skills of fighting had meaning. So what if the feds complained about the bean bag rounds he shot almost on instinct by now at almost _every_ target he went after? They were only winged, not dead.

After the first year of bounty hunting, he found that he had earned a reputation among the small community of year-round hunters.

The Hound of Judgment. He thought it sounded fitting, considering he had been tempted to ask Crowley for a pack of hellhounds he could 'blood summon' for extra kick.

Considering how much amusement he had been giving said demon, the man had given him one the moment he asked. It took him three months and learning the hard way that his new ability to see hellhounds also came with the irritating side effect of allowing him to see demons and reapers, before he could take them on a run.

Still, knowing when he was dealing with a demon came in handy...even if it took him several hours and multiple occult shops to locate an actual amulet to prevent possession...and then a few painful weeks to get used to his new tattoo.

* * *

So here he was sitting in a tiny outside area where they sold imported beer. He was enjoying a cold brew after a rather annoying case...Crowley had called him up and all but demanded that he deal with this pest _now_ because he was very close to breaking his contract prematurely.

Gabriel had long since made a point to ask the demon what exactly they had asked for... it had started out of curiosity at first, but the look of relief one man had on his face after he had made a deal to save his daughter's life from a coma had made the inquiries worth it.

Gabriel couldn't separate a family. He had sworn then and there to at least check to see if they had made a deal out of greed or some other vice, or if it had been the only choice available. He had no guilt over losing one of his soul markers from all those Crowley had taken from his own deal.

Hearing a father and son argue over college, Gabriel grimaced. He just wanted some peace and quiet. He was about to leave when he did a doubletake.

The son arguing with his father looked like him in the mirror. What...the...hell?

Gabriel left with his bottle, since he had already paid and the run-in was too disturbing to keep his buzz going.

He was about to dial Crowley and asks what was going on, but decided to wait until morning where he could enjoy a hangover and pissing off the demon at the same time.

Cursing a demon was always fun...mostly because he had to actually be _creative_ about the things he called the demon (usually Crowley after an annoying assignment) and the words that he shouted at him were always entertaining.

Gabriel's personal favorite was calling Crowley the son of Micheal and a celibate nun...that always pissed him off.


	2. Chapter 2

"_Finally ran into the Winchester family did you? Was wondering when you would see them,"_ said Crowley, once his bitch fest was over with.

"And _when _were you going to mention I had a damn double running around?!"

"_Sam Winchester, second youngest of the three. Has a habit of ditching his family to try and be normal. Is one of a hundred kids picked by Azazel of the yellow eyes to fight in some sort of bizarre blood tournament in a few years. Abilities manifest at exactly a month after the twenty-second birthday. Rumor has it that the winner of this tournament Azazel cooked up will open a hell's gate in Wisconsin using the infamous Colt,"_ said Crowley looking up the rumors he had picked up. He had been anticipating this for months. He then added _"And that cost you another marker coincidentally."_

"Not my problem. Still have over three hundred left. So what's the deal with the Winchester brothers?"

"_Look if you want this information you'll have to come meet me at the usual place and you can have their entire biography for five markers. Some of this wasn't easy to get,"_ said Crowley irritably.

"Deal."

* * *

Gabriel read the file with interest, making sure to have beer on hand.

John Winchester was a total no-go. The man had taken a running leap off the deep end into full-blown paranoia. While he was an absentee father, he was still a damn sight better than what he had dealing with as a child. At least Winchester never hit his children out of drunken rage like Vernon did once. If he knew about Gabriel's side job collecting early on contracts, he would shoot him without hesitation.

Dean was a possibility, but not while he traveled with his father. He was a man-whore, and a very _long_ list of girls he had flings with...surprisingly no pregnancies though. He was practically a carbon copy of his father attitude wise, though it was tempered with his overprotective nature towards his younger sibling.

Sam was his best bet. His twin, and the second youngest next to his brother 'Gabriel' who supposedly died in the fire that killed their mother, though according to what Crowley found, Azazel killed her first. And he had allowed John to see him. Sam wasn't enthusiastic about being a hunter, and there were several times he had run away for weeks at a time. He came back every time though. According to a small note, he also had a thing for dogs.

The entire thing sounded far too familiar to Gabriel. When his eyes fell on the bible in his hotel, he had an idea why.

John, the absentee father. Dean, the ever-loyal son and protective brother. Sam, the rebellious one and the outcast.

It sounded far too much like God leaving heaven (and the demons were aware he wasn't there right now, but no idea where he had vanished to...or where Gabriel had run off) while Micheal ran the place in his absence while Lucifer rotted in the pit.

Unlike the other demons, Crowley didn't have a high opinion of his boss. If Lucifer thought of humans as bags of pus, how could he possibly think highly of his own creations? Let alone the humans who had turned demon?

Gabriel was fully well aware the only reason Crowley gave him this information was because he hated Azazel and wanted to ruin his plans. Anything to piss off old yellow-eyes was okay in his book. And using his personal bounty hunter to screw over the bastard's master plan to create a leader for an army of demons, including the seven deadly sins, sounded like a fun way to do it.

In Crowley's opinion, it was bad enough crossroad demons that worked under him were allowed out frequently. He didn't need competition if a hell gate opened. Besides, he hated Lucifer anyway. The enemy of my enemy is my friend and all that rot, despite how he felt about humans in general.

So Gabriel, like quite a few other demons, decided to keep tabs on the Winchesters, or in his case Sam mostly.

He watched as the inevitable confrontation between John, Dean and Sam reached it's conclusion as Sam just left them and never came back.

Gabriel had been close enough that he even gave his twin a ride, though he never took his helmet off.

"Thanks for the lift."

"Don't know why you're running away, and I don't care. Sometimes you have to stand on your own two feet to get anything done proper," said Gabriel.

"Don't I know it."

Gabriel heaved a fake sigh before he gave Sam his personal number. Only a few had that, the rest had to go through his 'business' phone like the FBI.

Had he known that Sam kept the number because of a feeling he had, he would have felt a glimmer of hope in his bleak existence. But Sam never used it, so he never found out until years after he gave his own twin a lift to a nearby town.

* * *

Gabriel was at yet another bar when he found himself approached by what he could only assume was a Trickster. He preferred human targets...hunting creatures was something he only did when he was particularly bored or something had caught his attention. Something like a wendigo or an annoying ghost in the hotel he was crashing at.

Gabriel turned to the grinning trickster, who was likely going to prank him like so many he had done for years...until he said something that stopped that plan cold.

"What in heaven's name are you? You feel like a trickster but your aura is way, way off..." asked Gabriel confused.

"My...aura?"

"Way too pure to be a demon, and it's like the Trickster's power is masking something..."

"How can you read auras? You're a bounty hunter for crying out loud!"

"Cashed in a marker so I could figure out when a demon was nearby...plus it lets me see my hellhound pack. Though this is the first time I've seen one that pure looking or that strong," said Gabriel, drinking his beer.

The Trickster pouted. There went his element of surprise.

"I'm Loki," he said.

"Loki as in _the_ Loki?"

"The same."

"In that case I have a bone to pick with you," said Gabriel seriously.

Loki gave him an odd look. This was the first time they had ever met. How the hell could he have a problem? The Hound of Judgment was notorious for being a loner!

"The last time I checked your legend, you specifically went after hypocrites and self-righteous idiots who needed a firm reminder who's at the top. So why in the heaven's name did you bypass England? There were hundreds of people for you to play with and not once did you answer the twin's summonings! And I know they tried to call you in!" said Gabriel.

"Twins?" perked Loki.

"Fred and George Weasley. Also known as the second coming of the Marauders and owners of the once popular Weasley's Wizard Wheezes before the Death Eaters burned it down and they were killed fighting them off," said Gabriel.

"Oh them. They didn't use the right materials and I got a major warning against going to England from someone I can't exactly refuse."

"Eh. Too bad, I bet you could have a blast with the idiots who are still running the place."

"You know for a demon's bounty hunter you aren't what I expected..." said Loki in surprise.

"Let me guess. Older, more rugged and with a grudge against the world, along with a suitably tragic past that makes me curse god?" said Gabriel amused.

"How'd you guess?"

"I've gotten that one too many times. I'm barely pushing twenty-two, and it's difficult to _hate_ the world when you honestly don't give a damn. And I find it hard to believe god even gives a crap about humans any more aside from sending angels to go after the odd demon who goes way too far," said Gabriel, waving the barkeep for another beer.

"How can you not care?" asked Loki, curious before he ordered something fruity and had way too much sugar to be healthy.

"I had friends. They found out I was adopted and not a half-blood like everyone thought, but was in fact a muggleborn like the girl I had fallen in love with and all of a sudden they turned on me to someone else without even so much an explanation or reason why. Then when I deal with the idiot causing trouble and killing them off, they had the gall to brand me as evil just because I ended the problem for them like they all but demanded. After dealing with that and over a year of being the communal torture training tool, I just learned not to give a damn," said Gabriel, taking a long pull of his beer.

"Ouch. No wonder you quit caring. So...care to help me prank some uptight bastards?"

"Hmm. Pranks and the chance to figure out what the hell you actually are. I'm in," said Gabriel.

* * *

It wasn't until Crowley mentioned something an hour after he left Loki behind that he figured it out.

"What in Lucifer's name is that pit-awful stench? It smells like feathers and divinity!" said Crowley covering his nose immediately.

"Feathers and... So that's what he was. No wonder I had such trouble figuring it out."

"Whatever. Leave and take out this target before that smell lingers!" said Crowley gagging.

"Yeah, yeah...keep your pen on," said Gabriel, deliberately waving his hand near the demon who nearly threw up. He smirked. Baiting Crowley was always amusing.

* * *

Gabriel ran into Loki a second time and decided to test his theory.

"So Gabriel, how's it hanging?"

Loki, who had been eating a chocolate bar with Reese's pieces, choked on it. He had trouble dislodging it until the bounty hunter pounded him on the back a little.

"What did you call me?" he said gasping for air.

"Gabriel. That is your true name isn't it?"

"What the hell makes you say that?"

"Something Crowley mentioned. He said I reeked of 'feathers and divinity', and the only thing that I know of that demons absolutely hate are angels. Ergo, I figured you were one. And since last I checked most angels were total dicks, I figured you had to be Gabriel who's been missing since the Dark Ages," he said flatly.

"Why Gabriel?"

"Like I said, your aura was unusually strong, and it lingered even after I went to see my boss long enough to make him gag."

Loki looked _really_ uncomfortable.

"You're not going to tell anyone are you?" he said.

"So you are Gabriel? Ironic," he said amused.

"Yeah, but are you going to tell anyone?"

"Hell no! Why would I cut off my best source of annoying Crowley?"

"What?" said Loki taken aback.

"Crowley _hates_ angel smell. He nearly threw up when I saw him. The only reason he puts up with me and my insults is because he's determined to corrupt me and make the markers he still owes me void!"

"You know he's trying to corrupt you and you stay_ why_?" asked Loki curious.

"Have you seen his face when someone manages to insult him? Whenever I'm hungover I call him the 'son of Micheal and a celibate nun'...you should hear some of the things he yells at me when I say that."

"The son of... Oh my father that is _hilarious_. Wish Mikey could hear you say that!" said Loki with glee.

"See this is why I love hanging around demons. When you're around them you have to be _creative_ when it comes to insults. Plus you should hear some of the stuff they come up with in return!" cackled Gabriel.

"So why are you a demon's bounty hunter?"

"Two reasons. One, over a quarter of the Death Eaters that had been in service before I made that deal with Crowley had demon deals of their own they were trying to renege on. And two, because it was either that or become a hunter, and frankly I find it more fun to see the look on their faces when they find out that I'm collecting on the debt early. Why should I get my head bashed in by a ghost and declared insane when I can do more as a normal bounty hunter and do the occasional hunts on the side?"

"Point."

"Besides, it's fun to annoy people who are too afraid of you despite the fact that the default setting on the shotguns is set for beanbag rounds."

"Why beanbag?"

"The paperwork for accidentally killing a bounty is not worth the headache, and it gives me plenty of time to stun, bind or knock the target out."

"So...is there any reason why you look so much like one of the Winchesters?"

Gabriel handed over the profile for Sam Winchester. He kept it on him when he was bored.

"Read up to the point where his mother gets killed. That should explain a few things."

Loki read the profile, curious why he had such a thing, before his eyebrows shot up in shock.

"You have a family...why aren't you traveling with them? I thought after the hell you went through in England you would be jumping at the chance to at least meet them."

"John Winchester, paranoid bastard that rivals Mad-Eye Moody with his precautions and known demon-hater. Dean Winchester, daddy's favorite son and damn near his carbon copy. Sam, the only relatively _sane_ one of the lot and the one who at least tries to be normal. Why would _any_ of them want to associate with a bounty hunter who works with demons willingly on the side?" asked Gabriel depressed.

And that right there was the problem. With John's hatred of all things demonic, how would he react to a missing son working for the King of the Crossroad demons of his own free will and not killing them on sight? Or the fact he was on good terms with the FBI and most of the local police?

And Dean...well he would never go against his father. And Gabriel didn't want to see them fight over who was right about him. He had helped Sam, which was actually the most interaction he had with the trio.

"I know that look. Dammit, it's happening all over again," said Loki.

"What is?"

"The older and the younger fighting, the dad not stopping it and finally the youngest splitting off because he was tired of it all. It happened to me. Why did you think I left?"

"Why do I get the feeling we're going to be seeing each other a lot more from now on?"

"Considering that lone wolf act you've got going on, and the potential to prank the Winchesters? Hell yes!"

"Meh. The twins, Sirius and Remus would all kill me twice over if they knew I passed up on traveling with Loki and helping him prank people," said Gabriel musing.

"That's the spirit! But I can't exactly help you on your hunts for demons you understand," said Loki.

"Course. Would it be too much to ask for help with research for stuff outside my job as a bounty hunter?"

"Deal. But you owe me sugar for each time I help."

"Wait till you see my tent then..." chuckled Gabriel. Gabriel had a bit of a sweet tooth, and judging by the looks Loki shot his kitchen he did too.


	3. Chapter 3

Crowley was annoyed. And he blamed Gabriel Winchester, the hunter he hoped to convert into his own personal minion. Though at the rate he was going in terms of annoying him, he might just make him his own personal punting demon.

The brat not only had the _cheek_ to insult him, but recently he started coming in reeking of angel taint. And he had the _distinct_ feeling the bastard knew about the scent and was doing it on purpose...though where he found an angel outside of heaven who wouldn't kill him on sight he had no idea.

Oh well. At least he knew the brat would trust him up until the markers started dwindling rapidly.

Gabriel was right about one thing. He could trust Crowley up until he ran out of markers, or near to it. A demon of his reputation had to keep up certain obligations and despite how many of them became demons only certain ones developed all the powers over crossroads like Crowley.

Crowley had become a demon because he was a conniving son of a bitch who crossed one too many people...but he always kept his word. A paragon of Slytherin house as it were, if Gabriel were to mention anything about him. He would put up with the Winchester brat until he was no longer useful, and Gabriel put up with his assignments because he did owe something to the demon. It was a working relationship, one with many levels.

Besides, the human did grow on you once you worked past his acid wit and rather creative insults.

Gabriel was right on another matter. Cursing a demon isn't nearly as fun when they happen to live in the pit year-round. The only way to actually insult them properly was to be creative about it. And some of the ones Gabriel came up with were rather witty...he used them on some of the lesser demons and it really pissed them off.

* * *

"So let me get this straight. That headache and nosebleed I had around my birthday was because I was infected like Sam was?" said Gabriel annoyed.

"Yup. I guess Azazel wanted to make sure Sam didn't have any competition, so he dosed you with Sam before he dumped you in England."

"Right...I'm so stealing that damn Colt first chance I get and unloading it in his face. If for no other reason than for making me suffer through fucking England," said Gabriel growling.

"Look at the bright side!" said Loki.

"What bright side?" asked Gabriel.

"Now's the perfect time to find your animagus form?"

"...You suck sometimes. Alright, let's get this started so I can start blasting people with my mind," said Gabriel.

Loki cackled eagerly.

* * *

It took Gabriel two months of crappy meditation techniques and another month of torturing Loki with sugary foods, but eventually he found his animal form. And surprise, surprise, he had two.

A three-headed hellhound and oddly enough a crow that had weird powers.

"So which one you gonna go for first?" asked Loki, popping in another sucker.

"Hellhound. If only for the shock value when I start keeping Crowley awake at night," said Gabriel evilly.

"The never-ending yapper dog?" said Loki grinning.

"Damn straight."

"You know with how much thought you put into annoying him, some might think you have a crush on him," said Loki.

"Possibly. I mean he did save me after all."

"So it doesn't bug you that you're gay? And for a demon no less?"

"Why should it? I've been put through so much crap that I've lost the ability to give a damn about what other people think. Besides, it's not like Crowley likes me that way or anything," said Gabriel.

"Anyway, let's see how long it takes for you to get that transformation down," said Loki.

Their plans were interrupted when Gabriel's phone went off.

"Yes? WHAT?! I'll be there in an hour!" he said closing it, before he looked at Loki, "Change of plans, Sam's apartment just burned down and they've already pulled his girlfriend's body off the ceiling."

Loki winced.

"I can't get involved with them."

"No, but if I don't get there then I'll have trouble laying a tracking charm on Sam so I can save their ass later," said Gabriel.

Loki snorted. That sounded more like the Gabriel he knew.

He might be a gruff bastard, but when it came to family he would jump through hoops and go through any number of intermediaries just to make sure they were safe.

* * *

Gabriel was about to leave for another assignment when his charm went off like a klaxon in his head. He apparated to where Dean was and blasted the shapeshifter into the wall. He put a charm on the thing was to make it look like he was wearing a plastic mask and gloves for the cops to find. Dean stared at him for a second before he ducked into another room and vanished without a word.

With that 'evidence' for the cops to find, Dean narrowly avoided being branded a serial murder and was labeled a victim instead. Sam would spend weeks trying to convince Dean that he had been nowhere near that room and he had no idea who the mystery man was.

Gabriel was grinning through his new form. He had finally found a way to make the damn thing work by concentrating on how Fluffy had looked first year. He howled in symphony with all three heads and Loki had to cover his ears.

"TONE THAT SHIT DOWN!" he shouted.

Gabriel had a spark of vindictiveness in him. He slobbered all over Loki.

"Gross!" said Loki annoyed, though he was grinning. The image of Gabriel acting like an over eager puppy that wasn't house-trained next time he saw Crowley was too funny to pass up.

"Right, let's set up the cameras so we can enjoy Crowley's reaction," said Loki evilly. Gabriel barked in agreement. He lived for annoying the demon.

* * *

Crowley was pissed...and there was only one reason why.

Gabriel Winchester. The bastard had gone and completed his animagus transformation, finally, and he had decided to annoy him with it. Normally this wouldn't be a problem, but the bastard was a Cerberus with hellfire in him and he had been acting like a new puppy that wasn't house broken. It was going to take weeks to clean this mess up!

And to top it all off, Gabriel's hellhound form slobbered all over his custom tailored outfit.

"Right. This is going to cost you two markers you bastard son of a whore," he growled.

Gabriel barked in annoyance, before he covered Crowley in dirt and rock by digging up the yard.

"Make that three," he said, spitting out dirt. Gabriel chuffed, before he left. He had only come to annoy Crowley. Losing three souls was entirely worth it in his opinion.

* * *

Sam and Dean were crashing at Bobby's after a particularly nasty case. Mostly because they had been in the area and Bobby was like an uncle to the two of them.

"What's eatin' you two idjits up?"

"Well since you asked, we're about to revisit the possibility of me having a body double. Again. For the third time this month," said Sam tiredly.

He didn't think it was a shapeshifter, for one thing those bastards were territorial as hell. And for another it had helped Dean without asking for anything.

Dean was lying on the couch with an ice-pack to his head. He had a bit of a migraine.

"What's this about a body double?"

"Remember that shape-shifter that nearly got me on the Feds list?" asked Dean.

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Well right before the cops were about to bust me in the house, Sam's double appeared out of nowhere after some weird electrical discharge that sounded like a crack, blasted him into the wall and did something to create a fake mask and gloves with my fingerprints on them for the cops to find. When I went to follow him, he had vanished without warning. He had this weird tattoo on his shoulders though," said Dean.

"Weird tattoos?" said Bobby.

Dean grabbed a piece of paper and pen, then doodled it on there. On one side was an Enochian sigil, he knew that much. The other one looked like it was Norse.

Bobby stared.

"Are you sure he had these tattoos specifically?"

"This was on the right and this was on the left. He had some sort of badge around his neck, but I never got a good look at it."

"Hold on a minute... did it look like this?" asked Bobby, bringing out a book with the badges in it.

"That's it. Who is he?" asked Dean.

"You were helped by the Hound of Judgment...the only bounty hunter rumored to have ties to demons. I wonder why he bothered to show up if there wasn't any bounties in the area?" asked Bobby.

"Hound of Judgment?"

"Gabriel W., known to the Feds as the Hound of Judgment. He goes in, shoots his targets with a bean bag round then brings them in for the feds. He's never failed to get his target, though occasionally they end up dying after the feds get their information in their cells. Mysterious deaths and the like. Thing is that all those were tied to an overnight success," said Bobby.

"Crossroads demon," said Dean, catching the pattern.

"Like I said, it's not confirmed whether he works for demons or not, but it's a damn strange coincidence that those targets died before the contract was up," said Bobby.

"Do you have a picture of him?" asked Dean.

"The feds have a database of their bounty hunters so the cops don't arrest them without a reason," said Bobby, bringing up the page on his computer.

Sam, Dean and Bobby all stared.

Gabriel...looked exactly like Sam only he was more tired looking and had a tattoo on his each of his shoulders. There was an edge of a third tattoo where his heart would be, but they couldn't see the whole thing. However what they could see had Bobby digging up one of his old talismans.

"Anti-possession. Specifically demons," he said.

"Does he have a phone number?" asked Dean.

"There's a cell phone number. He has two according to this, but the second's not listed."

Sam blinked when he saw one of the numbers. He recognized it.

"Hang on..." he said, digging out his wallet. He pulled out a faded card with a cell phone number and a second below it. All it said was G. W., though he had no idea who that man had been.

The numbers matched.

"So he was the one to give me a lift that day..." muttered Sam.

"Sammy?"

"Remember that fight we had, right before I left for Stanford? Someone gave me a lift on a motorcycle to the nearest city with a bus station. Said if I ever needed help to give him a call. I've had this in my wallet since," said Sam.

"Why would a bounty hunter who works with demons be so interested in you two?" asked Bobby.

"No idea. Wait, what does this thing say on the bottom?" asked Dean.

"'Prefers to use Winchester brand guns'," read Bobby.

"Wait. His last name is just listed as W., you don't think..." said Sam.

"I have a way to find out," said Dean.

He was calling John.

* * *

John Winchester was a paranoid son of a bitch. So when Dean calls about Sam having a double that they believe to be connected with demons, he makes a point of picking up the cell to call them back.

"_Dean."_

"What's this about Sam having a double?" demanded John.

"_Dad?! We've been trying to reach you for months!"_

"I know. It's too dangerous," said John, "Now what's this about a double?"

"_There's a bounty hunter named Gabriel W. on the feds list of approved hunters, and he showed up a couple times. He even kept me from being put on the feds radar."_

"What?"

"_Shapeshifter tried to frame me for a serial murder. Sam's double showed up for no reason and blasted it into the wall before making it look like the thing had been wearing a fake mask and gloves with my prints on it. The cops had to let me go after that,"_ explained Dean.

"So what did Bobby say about this double?"

"_His name is Gabriel, and he goes after targets that coincide with demon deals that mysteriously die in prison once their usefulness is over. He also uses Winchester brand guns and rides a motorcycle. No idea who he is though."_

John felt a lump in his throat grow. The chances of it being him were astronomical. However there was a chance his son _didn't _die with Mary and was now working with demons. He didn't know which was worse.

"_Dad?"_

"Sam...had a twin. I thought he died in the fire but if this is him, then chances are he's been with demons this entire time," said John.

"_Sam had a twin?"_ said Dean incredulous.

"Gabriel. He was in the nursery when the demon showed up, but I thought he had been killed in the fire because I couldn't find him. It had been hot enough to melt an infant's bones," said John

Suddenly he heard the speakerphone on Dean's end.

"_I have a twin brother? Why didn't you ever mention him?"_ asked Sam.

"Like I wanted to remember losing one of my sons along with my wife! Dean forgot all about him too, and he was old enough to remember," said John.

"_So what do we do if we run into him again?"_ asked Dean.

"Find out if it really is Gabriel. And where he's been all these years."

"_What do we do if he really is in league with demons?"_ asked Sam.

"Then we don't contact him at all," said John flatly.

He hung up, his mind whirling over the fact that Gabriel might in fact be alive. Why now?


	4. Chapter 4

Gabriel was practicing with his telekinesis, mostly levitating heavy objects like bags of sugar, when his phone rang.

"Gabriel, who's calling me?"he said bluntly.

"_Gabriel?"_ said a voice. He froze.

That was Sam Winchester. Why now?

"Winchester. So I take it Dean finally figured out who saved his ass from that damn shapeshifter two months ago."

"_Bobby found you on the FBI website. Are you really my brother?"_

"According to that fool Crowley I am. If you don't want anything to do with someone who works for demons occasionally I'd understand. You are a hunter after all."

"_Why do you work for demons?"_

"Convenience and I owe him for saving my life."

"_Saved...your life?"_

Gabriel sighed as he sat down. He put it on speaker.

"I was in England for as long as I can remember. I went to this school for magic users...not the witches you've dealt with but natural ones. They thought I was their so-called savior because this asshole had started a war over the 'purity' of their blood and they thought I was the one who could take him out for them. The second they found out I was adopted and a first generation magical, they dumped me like yesterday's trash. I was captured, tortured and praying for death for well over a year. Then Crowley came and offered me a deal."

"_What did you do?"_

"I agreed, along with a few terms of my own. For every soul this deal roped him, I got another marker towards a favor. There were over three hundred and fifty people Crowley nabbed through that deal, including the bastard causing trouble. It took me a day to come to America, and I've been here ever since."

"_So why do your targets die in prison once they've given up everything the FBI want?"_

Gabriel smirked.

"Because occasionally my bounties happen to have a demon deal, and Crowley pays me for ending them early so he can collect the soul. Every year cut off, I get another thousand. Though there are the rare exceptions where I'll call in a marker to get the deal removed so the target gets to live a long happy life. Very rare mind you."

"_Can you give me one of their names so I can confirm that? We're not exactly fans of demons,"_ said Sam dryly.

"Mark Ruder, of Indiana. Ask him about the hunter who showed up and allowed him to see his little girl's wedding and her grandchildren."

Suddenly the phone beeped.

"Looks like I got another assignment. Talk to you later Sam," said Gabriel, hanging up.

"_Who was on the other end?" _demanded Crowley.

"Seems they finally realized I exist. Yay me."

"_Whatever. You've got a new target, he's in Henderson. And, since you insist on knowing why they made a deal, he wanted his friend's wife. Had us arrange an accident so he could swoop in,"_ said Crowley sarcastically.

"Thanks a bunch Crow. Be sure to transfer the cash like always," said Gabriel boredly.

He put his tent up and kicked off. Loki had disappeared someplace to annoy a few Hunters, so he wouldn't be joining him. He was gone before the sun rose.

* * *

Dean and Sam knocked on the door, and found a man standing there. He seemed to stare at Sam for a second.

"You Mark?"

"Yeah?"

"We're here to ask about the man who called off your deal," said Dean.

"Why? He's right next to you."

"My name is Sam, not Gabriel," he said quickly.

"Come in," said Mark.

He poured them some coffee.

"So where do you want me to start?"

"How about when you found out he was there to end your deal early?" asked Sam.

"Well he busted down the door. Then he asked me the weirdest question. Apparently he hadn't gotten any information from his demon contact about why I had made the deal, and he generally did. So I told him that it was to save my girl from terminal cancer. He whipped out this cell phone and called someone named Crowley and asked about the deal. Next thing I know the hellhound he had brought with him was gone and my deal had been called off. He told me to enjoy my family, since he never got a chance to actually enjoy his own."

Mark took a drink of his coffee.

"That was fourteen months ago. I had five years left on that contract, and when I asked around with the demon I summoned last time they confirmed that my deal had been ended early by someone else. Apparently Gabriel had several soul markers that he could use for favors. He used one so I could live to see my daughter grow up," said Mark.

"How did he seem to you?" asked Sam.

"Tired, mostly. Like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders and he was only now starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel."

"And that's the only time you saw him?" asked Dean.

"I looked up the number on his badge that he had around his neck... I had no idea that an actual bounty hunter had come to my door and saved my life. But I'm glad he did...I had been dreading the day that contract came to an end, and now I can see my daughter live her life without worrying about mine," said Mark.

Sam and Dean left after a few awkward minutes, having come up dry.

"Well?" asked Sam.

"Did you check out the story he fed you about England?" asked Dean.

"I got it confirmed. Apparently the natural magicals, which hunters over their have had trouble with because they can erase your memory if you find them, had a massive war that nearly dragged Europe back into the Dark Ages. Someone named Harry Potter, who was discovered to be a 'muggleborn' or first generation magical, did something to kill off everyone marked by this Tom Riddle all at once and now they're torn between making him a hero or a villain. They're sending me some of the old papers from that time period to Bobby's."

"So he makes a deal, saves their asses from the big bad guy and somehow ends up in America working for demons," Dean summed up.

"And here's the thing that I don't get. Why would Gabriel call in one of his 'soul markers' to call off that guy's deal?" asked Sam.

"I have a better one. Why has he been helping us? Why give you his number and a lift to the nearest bus terminal? Something doesn't add up Sammy," said Dean.

Suddenly Sam's phone went off...it was Bobby.

"What is it Bobby?"

"_WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO, YOU IDJIT? I GOT OWLS UP THE WAZOO HERE WITH NEWSPAPERS!"_ yelled Bobby angrily.

"What?"

"_There are about a hundred owls here all with newspapers! Do you have any idea how long it's going to take to clean up these damn feathers and pellets? Get your asses over here so I can shoot you both!"_ snapped Bobby.

Sam looked at Dean with surprise.

"Owls?" he said.

"We might as well get this over with," said Dean.

* * *

It took them four days to go through all the newspapers, and an hour to notice a pattern.

"So let me get this straight. They go from poster boy, to nutjob, to savior, to liar and finally vilify him just because he wasn't what they thought he was?" said Dean.

Sam was horrified at how backward these people were. They turned against someone who had been protecting others for years just because he was a first generation magical and not a half-blood?

"Does it say what happened to him?" asked Bobby. He didn't like how this was turning out.

"The last reported location was when Voldemort was killed. He was there to watch the hellhounds kill him and all those with him. He told them that he washed his hands of them and their betrayals. After that Gabriel Winchester shows up a month later in America as a bounty hunter. Look at the date he showed up," said Dean.

Sam blinked.

"That's a little over a year before I left for Stanford."

"So why is he helping out the demons?" asked Bobby.

"He said that he owed Crowley and that it was convenient. Every year the deal is cut short he gets another thousand. All those mystery deaths were from the people having whatever deal they made getting cut short."

"Why cut them short? It can't be for the money, he makes quite a bit as a bounty hunter legally," said Bobby.

"Why don't we ask him?" suggested Sam.

"Dial him up!" said Dean, grabbing a few beers.

Sam called the second number, and a few seconds later Gabriel answered. Sam put him on speaker.

"_Hello?"_ he said.

"Gabriel? We had a few questions," said Sam.

"_I take it I'm on speakerphone then?"_ he said dryly.

"Yes."

"_Good. I've been meaning to say this since I convinced Crowley to hand over your bios years ago. Dean Winchester, you're a damn man-whore. I mean I have a fricken' list as long as my arm of all the girls you've slept with!"_

"HEY!"

Sam couldn't help the snicker he got from that flat statement. Then he processed that statement in his head.

"What do you mean our bios?"

"_Demon's all over America have been keeping tabs on you. Crowley gave me a biography of you, Dean and John when I asked. Apparently you got their attention for some reason, and I don't think it's because of Azazel's stunt with dosing you with demon's blood when we were infants."_

"Who is Azazel?" asked Bobby.

"_Robert Singer I presume? Azazel, the yellow-eyed demon. Also the one John Winchester is unsuccessfully tracking at the moment. According to Crowley Azazel is planning some big blood tournament between the one hundred children he dosed with demon's blood. Winner gets to open a hell gate in Wisconsin with the Colt and lead an army of demons, including the ones that made the seven deadly sins so infamous. Thing is that the psychic who wins will have killed off the other 99. From what the grapevine's told me Azazel dumped me off in England because he didn't want Sam to have competition that could possibly match him."_

Bobby blinked.

"There's a hell gate in Wyoming?"

"_Bound by the same man who made the Colt. I don't work for Crowley just for fun you know. Having a crossroad demon owing me multiple soul markers means I stay in the loop and occasionally ahead of it. And since Crowley isn't a fan of Azazel, he doesn't mind using me to throw a wrench in the works to piss off ol' Yellow Eyes. Though it is fun to piss off my handler,"_ said Gabriel with a chuckle.

"How do we know we can trust you?"

"_Because despite working with demons more than not, I've never actually made a demon deal. I work with them out of necessity. So long as I'm under their rule, magicals can't up and find me to drag me back to England, and Azazel can't actually touch me. And if I ever find that bastard I'll unload most of my holy-water treated bullets into him for dumping me in the middle of that fucking civil war before I give you guys a call to kill him off," _said Gabriel with a growl.

"Was it really that bad?"

"_I assume you lot have gotten your hands on that trash rag known as the Prophet? The second they learned I wasn't a Potter, but some first-gen that the Potters had adopted and acted as their own son, they didn't just treat me like a diseased leper, they dumped me like yesterdays news. My so-called friends? Dropped me and went begging for the only other person they believed could fulfill some tripe prophecy, leaving me to be captured and turned into the communal training dummy for torture curses and new recruits on how to create the loudest screams. Excuse me if working for a demon is better than going back to those sons of a syphilitic succubus whore," _said Gabriel flatly.

Dean choked back a laugh.

"That's a rather descriptive way of saying you hate them."

"_Want another good one? I occasionally call Crowley the son of Micheal and a celibate nun. Try watching the looks on a demon's face when they hear that one. One of the perks of working for demons is that you have to be _creative_ when you cuss them out, since telling them to go to hell isn't nearly that effective," _chuckled Gabriel.

"Is there any way we could meet face to face?" asked Sam.

"_Ask that after you've talked to John Winchester. I doubt he wants anything to do with a son who openly admits to working with a crossroads demon, even if it is a necessary evil. At least with demons you know you'll be fucked sideways, the question is when it happens," _said Gabriel, before he hung up.

A few days later and Gabriel's prediction rang true. While John was glad to finally have a name for the demon they were trying to find and kill, he didn't want to have anything to do with Gabriel when he openly said that he would work with demons.

However that didn't stop Dean and Sam from talking to their long-lost brother. Gabriel had the acid wit of Dean and the smarts of Sam.

Unfortunately they had never seen him face-to-face, mostly because it would be difficult after Crowley started piling on the assignments.

* * *

A few months after they finally contacted Gabriel, John found the yellow-eyed demon...and they landed in a hospital when he had a big rig ram into the Impala.

Sam was trying to fill out the medical insurance forms when he noticed a shadow behind him.

He turned to find...his double.

"Dean had me under emergency contacts," explained Gabriel.

"Gabriel?" said Sam with surprise and some relief.

"Hey Sam. Nice to finally meet you. So why don't we track down where Dean's soul has run off to so I can get Crowley to send someone to fix him up?" said Gabriel.

"You can see souls?"

"Magical. Anyone with enough magic can see souls. Though I did see a reaper running around the hospital, so it's likely that Dean's attracted it's attention," said Gabriel leaning against the counter.

"...Can you fix the Impala?" asked Sam.

"I can try. There's a repairing charm that's widely used," said Gabriel. His hand suddenly snaked out and snagged something Sam couldn't see.

Dean's soul felt something latch onto his arm as he was dragged to his room.

"You, stay here," said Gabriel. He took out his cell phone and speed dialed Crowley.

"_WHAT?"_ said the demon irate.

"How many markers would it take to bring Dean Winchester back into fighting shape? Or at least able to leave the hospital?" asked Gabriel.

"_How bad is the damage?"_

"He'll be put on life support permanently and never leave the coma without some outside help," said Gabriel.

"_Since they're on several Demon's shit list...and for waking me up this late... Fifty markers,"_ said Crowley.

"Deal,"said Gabriel.

"_Keep your phone on and I'll transfer the power to you directly. Make sure his soul is within sight otherwise you'll have to track it down,"_ said Crowley irritably.

"Already done," said Gabriel. He felt a power reach through the phone to touch his magical core. He rested his hand on Dean's exposed arm and it went through him to Dean.

Dean's body suddenly jerked upright as he woke with a start. Sam helped remove the tubes.

"_Anything else or can I go back to sleep?"_ asked Crowley sarcastically.

"Night angel's breath," he said amused.

Crowley cussed him out before he hung up.

Dean looked at Gabriel in shock.

"Gabriel?" he said.

"In the flesh. You're lucky I was in your emergency contacts and that I don't mind giving up fifty markers to save your sorry ass," said Gabriel.

He heard someone take a gasp of surprise and turned to face John.

"Hello _dad_," he said sarcastically, then he turned to face Sam, "Lead on to the car and I'll see what I can do to fix it. No promises though."

Sam lead Gabriel outside, though he looked amused at the side car on his motorcycle. John stared after them in disbelief. How could Sam accept his brother after learning he dealt with demons?

Dean patiently waited for the doctors to show up so he could get out and check on his baby. John stuck around, mostly so he could ask Dean about Gabriel and what they knew of him.


	5. Chapter 5

"Dean, what do you know about him?"

"He might work for demons, but he's not evil like all the other Witches we've hunted. He called in a demon favor just to get this one man out of his contract so he could watch his daughter grow up," said Dean.

"What?"

"There was this man, Mark something. Gabriel showed up, asked him why he had made a deal, and when he heard how it was to save the man's daughter from terminal cancer he called his handler and called in a 'marker' to save the man's life from the contract. He didn't even ask for anything in return. And the thing's we've read about his life before he came back to America... Yellow-Eyes screwed him over but good," said Dean.

"How?"

"There was a magical civil war, and he was right in the middle of it. The minute they found out he was really a first generation instead of from a long line of them, they dropped him like he was nothing and went to someone else. He got captured and was tortured for over a year before a crossroads demon showed up to offer him a deal. His freedom for the souls of the nut job leading the nastier side of the war and his minions. Gabriel agreed to make a deal so long as he got a favor for each soul he helped the crossroads demon gain."

"So these markers..." said John.

"I'm guessing it was the nut job's minions. He did say that he had helped the demons grab over two hundred souls for that one deal."

"Why does he still work for them then?" demanded John.

"He doesn't have a choice. You should have read the papers Sammy managed to get his hands on. They went from poster boy, to nut case, to liar and finally back to savior. Then they found out he was adopted and they couldn't drop him fast enough. And when he finally ended their war for them, they started calling out for his head. He had to work with demons in order to stay alive...and he said that Azazel doesn't want him around Sammy for some reason," said Dean.

John sat down tiredly. He didn't know what to think. One son was on a demon's wanted list, and the other worked for the damn things. And to make matters worse they still had no leads on yellow-eyes.

"Gabriel did mention one thing... he said that they weren't the only ones dosed by yellow-eyes."

"What?"

"Gabriel said that Azazel dosed a hundred kids with demon's blood to awaken some psychic talent they had. That he plans to make them fight in some battle royal blood tournament to pick a leader for an army he plans to unleash. Bobby was there when Gabriel told us over the phone about a hell's gate made by the same man who created the Colt, and it checks out. There's a hell gate in Wisconsin, and Bobby had someone check it out...there's a hole that would fit the Colt's barrel."

"Why would he tell you? I thought he worked for demons!"

"I do. But I've been through too much crap because no one told me everything I actually needed to know to want to put my twin though the same thing. It's better to let you know _now_ rather than have you find out the hard way," said Gabriel. He looked at Dean, "I've done what I could for the framework, but you'll need to replace the engine. I can only stretch the repairing charm so far, and I don't know the first thing about your car's engine."

"Why are you helping us?"

"Because I've always wished that I had a family, even an older brother to come get me out of that hell I was in for nearly twenty years. So when I found out I had family, real, blood related family, waiting for me in America I had hopes that I could finally feel peace. Instead I found out about what happened with the demons, so I kept my distance. Especially since I read in your bio that you hate demons with a passion and anything connected to them," said Gabriel flatly.

"Sammy?" asked Dean.

"The car's a wreck...but it's better than it was. Bobby said he would tow it to the yard for you to fix... Should have seen his face when he finally saw Gabriel," said Sam.

"Why are you working for demons?" asked John. He seemed to sag into the chair.

"I have no other choice. The idiots in England still want my head on a platter, and Azazel sure as hell doesn't want me to be around Sam to help train his natural psychic power. Crowley may be an asshole, but at least I know where I stand around him. I got him so many souls for one deal that he has no choice but to try an corrupt me while I act as his collecting agent. Heh, though it's fun to see his face when I start annoying him."

"What do you mean natural psychic power?" asked Dean.

"Certain people have a natural inclination towards psychic ability, twins in particular have it. Demon's blood is a well known amplifier and is sometimes used to awaken psychic talent. However in our case it took a while for it to really kick in for some reason. Despite how you may feel about it, Dean, psychic talent is a natural and recorded phenomenon. I have a friend who's been helping me develop mine without having to use demon's blood to do it, and I can help Sam learn as well if he's willing," said Gabriel.

* * *

Gabriel was at Bobby's, mostly because Sam and Dean weren't going to let him run off now that they had finally met him. John had left to hunt down Azazel, though he was still unsure about Gabriel.

Bobby didn't care about the demon thing that much, so long as Gabriel had the decency to summon them far from his presence, or call Crowley when he wasn't in ear shot.

He passed the devil's trap and he drank the holy water without screaming. That was all Bobby needed to know...well that and the fact Gabriel had shown him the tattoo next to his heart which Bobby confirmed was a ward to keep away demons trying to possess him involuntarily.

Dean and Sam were quick to get their own pair of tattoos once they found that bit out. With how often they ran into demons it didn't pay to be careless.

"So Gabriel...what do the tattoos on your shoulders mean?" asked Sam. That had been bugging him since he caught a full glimpse of one.

"This," Gabriel pointed at the Enochian one, "is the sigil for the arch angel Gabriel. And this one is the Norse rune representing Loki. Normally they aren't very powerful, but combined they provide a powerful protection. Especially when the one who enchanted them knew what they were doing."

"Who gave them to you?"

Gabriel snorted.

"Let's just say Crowley was cussing me out pretty good when I visited him after I got them. If you think demons hate you, just imagine how much they _hate_ angels, especially arch angels."

Sam's eyes were wide.

"Angels are real?"

"Total dicks too. I lucked out and got on the good side of a strong one who gave me the sigil for Gabriel as a joke. They aren't on earth right now, though from what I heard from my angel friend they despise demons and barely tolerate humans at the best of times. I also heard that God's been missing from heaven for centuries now. So has Gabriel," he said.

"And what about Loki?"

"Loki is a total sugar-nut. I bribed him with several sweets and he blessed the tattoo for me. Means I can walk through fire and come out unscathed. Like a permanent flame freezing charm," said Gabriel.

"What about hellfire?" asked Bobby, having heard that comment.

Gabriel snorted.

"Don't need to worry about that. Not when I can do...this..." he said smirking.

Bobby and Dean let off a startled oath when they saw the massive three headed dog with hellfire on his paws. Sam yelped when he walked in after hearing the loud bark.

"What the hell?!"

Gabriel fell over laughing at their startled looks.

"Oh man, that was even funnier than the look on Crow's face after I paid a visit to his house and acted like a puppy!" he cackled.

"What'd you do to him?" asked Dean.

"Dug up his yard, slobbered all over him and his expensive fancy clothes, pretty much acted like an ill-trained pet. Hell, I know for a fact he still has a small puddle from where I used his house as a fire hydrant."

Dean snickered.

"Crowley might try to convert me into a demon, but that doesn't mean I'll dance like a puppet to his tune without having fun with it. He's still debating on whether to make me his minion or personal punting toy," snorted Gabriel.

"Hand me that carburetor will you?" asked Dean. Gabriel handed it over.

* * *

Gabriel was trying desperately to contain his laughter when he found out Sam was terrified of clowns. He failed and ended up on his ass from laughing so hard. Dean looked like he wanted to join him.

"It's not that funny!" said Sam embarrassed.

"Yes it is!"

"Then what you afraid of?" demanded Sam hotly.

"Last I checked my fear was fear itself," snorted Gabriel.

"How can you know that?" asked Dean.

"Boggarts. Spiritual creatures who feed on fear. They turn into whatever you're afraid of most," explained Gabriel.

"Seriously?" asked Dean.

"I can locate one and show you," said Gabriel, "I know the charm to repel them."

It took Gabriel all of a week to find out that Bobby had a boggart in one of his many desks. From there it took him an hour to convince Bobby this would be a good exercise for them all.

So he opened the drawer and they each faced it.

Bobby went first. He came face to face with his worst fear... a demon in control over his body and the dead bodies of Sam and Dean.

Dean went next. The thing whirled to reveal... Dean standing over the dead body of Sam and Gabriel, the Colt smoking in his hands.

Sam went after him...the boggart looked confused between clowns and Sam's true fear... that having demon's blood made him a demon.

It was Gabriel's that was the most telling. Where Sam, Dean and Bobby were all afraid of demons, or becoming one, Gabriel's worst fear was no longer dementors. Hard to be afraid of those when you had faced far worse.

Gabriel came face to face with himself, only his eyes were empty of all emotions.

"What are you supposed to be?" he asked.

"_Do you think they'll accept you? After everything you've done? They abandon you like everyone else. No one loves you. No one cares."_

Gabriel's eyes narrowed.

"Lies."

"_Not even Loki cares about you. You'll be used all over again and cast aside like yesterday's news. See how long it takes this time... and see how long it takes you to fall,"_ said the boggart.

"Riddikulus!" he said angrily, using as much power as he could. The boggart cried out in real pain before it vanished. Gabriel was pissed.

Gabriel looked at the worried gaze of Sam.

"The day I fall is the day I lose everything."

"So what did he mean by Loki?" asked Dean.

Gabriel rolled his eyes.

"I happen to be good friends with the trickster. _Very_ good friends," said Gabriel.

"As in a friends with benefits deal?" said Dean wagging his eyebrows suggestively.

"How'd you guess?" asked Gabriel dryly. Dean choked.

"Seriously?" said Dean. He hadn't expected the joke to be true.

Gabriel snorted.

"I happen to be _bi_ idiot. There's a reason why I quit caring what other people thought," said Gabriel.

Dean choked and Sam snorted at how well Gabriel played their older brother. Even Bobby was chuckling at Dean's gobsmacked face.

* * *

"_What did you call me for Dad?"_

"_I know about the human you've taken an interest in," said his father._

"_And you want me to back off right?" sighed the son._

"_Hardly. I'm not losing him to the demons, and so long as there is someone to stabilize his mind he won't slip. I want you to keep seeing that Hunter for as long as you want...I don't want him to fall to the crossroads demon."_

"_What about his contract?"_

"_That was already filled the moment Crowley took Voldemort's full soul to hell where it belonged. The Winchesters need all the help they can get, especially the youngest of the three."_

"_So is there a reason why history is repeating through mortal forms? I noticed that there are three brothers and a missing father."_

"_Blame Fate. She insisted that she be allowed to have some fun so she made the Potter a Winchester by blood. It was easier to humor her than to listen to her whine."_

"_What do you want me to do with Gabriel?" asked the son._

"_You know that connection is wide open. Even with the soul removed and the anti-possession tattoo he's still at risk for demons. However if something or _someone_ were to fill in that empty area where that piece was..."_

"_You want me to bond with him? Seriously?" said the son incredulous._

"_He needs to know that he won't be abandoned twice Gabriel. Just because I let Fate have a hand in his destiny doesn't mean I wasn't watching him. I want you to make sure he never becomes a demon."_

"_I can handle that dad. I'm just surprised that you're the one telling me to do this."_

"_Consider this an apology for being unable to help him when he was growing up," said the father._

"_I think he can accept that." _


	6. Chapter 6

Gabriel was half asleep when Loki showed up. He was the only one who was keyed into Gabriel's rather extensive wards.

"Hwa... hey Lo'. What time is it?"

"Five in the evening. Haven't you been sleeping properly?"

"Damn wizards keep tracking me. Crowley's at least decent enough to give me a head's up, but somehow they're finding my signature past the wards," yawned Gabriel.

"I may have an idea. Where's your wand?" asked Loki.

Gabriel handed it over.

"Tracking charms all over this thing. Mind if I have someone get you a new one?"

"So long as it works, no," said Gabriel.

Loki grinned.

"I'll be back in a few hours. Move your tent and get some sleep...I'll throw off any pursuers you have for a while," said Loki.

"Thanks Lo'."

Gabriel put his tent up moved to the next town and went to sleep in the first hotel he came across. Loki put enough wards to throw off any magicals or outside forces and waiting until Gabriel was well and truly asleep before leaving.

He had someone he needed to talk to.

* * *

God, more often called Chuck in his human form and known as Carver Edmund to everyone else, looked up when he felt Loki arrive.

"What's wrong?"

"Magicals are trying to track him. Mind helping me fashion a new wand for him?"

Chuck had an idea of what Loki had in mind.

"Come with me. We'll need to work fast if we're going to slip this past Micheal and the others," said Chuck.

He knew that they were still looking for him, but he didn't want to be found. It was why he hid as a prophet.

They went outside.

"First we're going to need a good chunk of your Grace," said Chuck.

"So this is going to be your way of turning him into an angel indirectly?" asked Loki.

"A way the demons won't be able to track. Even Crowley won't be able to notice until it's too late. And if we add a good portion of your soul into that hole in his, then it would be extremely difficult for Lucifer to kill you later," said Chuck.

"Wait, what?"

"A year after the first seal is broken, Lucifer ends up killing you while you protect the Winchesters and Kali. And I would prefer not to lose my favorite son to the one who screwed up," said Chuck.

"So how much Grace did you say you needed?" asked Loki.

* * *

Gabriel woke up the next morning feeling infinitely better than he had going to sleep. At the cheap coffee table with food was Loki.

"Morning Lo'," said Gabriel yawning.

"Got you a new wand."

"Really?" said Gabriel, a little more awake now.

"A rare, one-of-a-kind wand. Probably on par with the Elder wand," said Loki.

"Elder wand?" asked Gabriel.

"Some piece of wood that obtained belief the more owners it had. An angel played a prank on three brothers with three items. One overpowered spells like crazy and amplified natural magics, one brought a hallucination of those who've died so long as you knew the person you were summoning, and the third was an invisibility cloak that never unraveled no matter how old it got."

"Wait a damn minute..." said Gabriel, fully awake now.

He grabbed his dad's invisibility cloak out of his bag. It was for sentimental reasons mostly.

"That's the cloak!" said Loki.

"Son of a bitch. So this was a joke by an angel?"

"Still useful tho'," said Loki grinning.

"True. Disillusion and silencers work better in my opinion," said Gabriel.

"So you interested what your wand is made of?"

"Sure," said Gabriel.

"Do you know what happens when an angel's grace touches the earth?"

"Not a clue."

"Unlike other energies, when an angel looses or throws away their grace, when it touches the earth something is created. Usually trees for some odd reason."

"So the wood is..."

"The result of my Dad taking a chunk of my Grace and putting it into the earth."

"And the core?"

"One of my feathers and some metal thing he had lying around and had no use for," said Loki.

It was really his arch angel sword, but he wasn't going to tell Gabriel that.

"Wait, won't this mean you can track me anywhere you want?" asked Gabriel.

"Pretty much."

"Meh. Not like you can't find me anyway," said Gabriel shrugging.

Loki grinned.

"By the way, did you know that when Crowley removed Voldemort's soul fragment he left you wide open to possession?"

"Figures he didn't tell me what removing the piece would do," said Gabriel.

"But...I can leave a part of my grace in the spot and fill in the hole. Again, it would make finding you a snap, but with your new wand that's not much of an issue anyway," said Loki.

"Uh-huh. What's the real reason Lo'?" asked Gabriel, not buying it.

"Dad doesn't want you to turn demon, so he's trying to turn you into an angel slowly to avoid alerting Crowley. By using this wand you'll pretty much be a rogue under my command once the conversion is complete and by putting a piece of my soul in the place of Voldemort it would insure that even if something happens I won't be killed permanently until the fragment is destroyed. Though if something did happen, like an angel blade piercing me, then I would be incredibly weak and only you would be able to keep me anchored," shrugged Loki.

"So basically you would be on-hand as it were to give me prank ideas without actually being in the room? And what this about me turning a demon? I thought I was already doomed for the pit when I signed off on all those souls to Crowley," asked Gabriel.

"When Crowley took the fragment from your head, he fulfilled your end of the contract automatically. You would have to make a second deal in order to fall into the pit that way, and with those favors it would have to be something really, really big to use those up first," said Loki.

"So aside from relative immortality and a get-out-of-death free card, what exactly would putting your soul in the spot do?" asked Gabriel.

"It would speed up the conversion to angel. And make it easier to use the wand."

"So basically I have the choice to become an angel later or the chance of being a demon. Screw Crowley, I would rather fly!" said Gabriel smirking.

"That's the spirit! Plus I could probably convince dad to let me give you some trickster powers later," said Loki grinning.

* * *

Gabriel was laying on his stomach after his shower, mostly to fully wake up. Loki had something in his hand and he felt it was a better idea not to ask what it was.

When he felt the needles on his skin, he realized Loki was giving him a new tattoo. From the pattern, he could tell it was a pair of wings...at least at first. Looking at a mirror later he realized Loki had given him a pair that shimmered under his skin. From the way they moved, it almost looked like he had put his invisibility cloak into the colors. In the right lighting the wings almost looked like crow feathers.

(He did. He took the magic that held the cloak together to make the ink.)

"How long will this take until it settles?"

"Just avoid hunting with your magic for a week. That should be enough time for this to settle," said Loki.

"Right. Time to visit Bobby's house and see if he knows of any normal Hunts," said Gabriel. He liked the wing pattern on his back.

Gabriel had a simple classification for his hunting patterns.

**Level 1-** Work (I/E hunting normal fugitives for the FBI)

**Level 2-** Info (picking up Bobby's orders for him in other states)

**Level 3-** Hunts (what Sam, Bobby and Dean did on a regular basis)

**Level 4-** Demon (any job that involves a demon contract)

**Level 5-** Angel (Loki sends him on a hunt)

Gabriel was hunting with Sam and Dean, mostly dealing with some vampires that popped up.

However the second he came face-to-face with a hunter who specialized in the breed, Gabriel had to fight the urge to grab his gun and zip ties.

Gordon was on the FBI's wanted list. And Gabriel had four of them on his laptop and PDA.

_Level 1_- Normals

_Level 2_- Magicals

_Level 3_- Hunters

_Level 4_- Demons

Gordon was a level 3 on his bounty list...a hunter who took things too far and got the attention of the average person with his methods.

Gabriel acted like he got a text while he was drinking his beer, leveled the camera roughly at Gordon, then read what the site came up with. He kept Dean and Sam from going near the guy.

"What's up?"

"Psychotic hunter with a bounty. He's decent, but he's also a psychopath," said Gabriel.

"How bad?"

"He kills innocents if he even remotely believes they're vampires. And he goes after the covens who are known to avoid human areas and drink donated blood only."

"There are vampire covens who avoid humans?"

"The hippie vampires. They're considered a joke and are avid _Twilight_ fans. They're also the ones who generally get picked up by idiots like him," said Gabriel, nodding towards Gordon.

"How can we tell which type we're dealing with?"

"Give me five minutes. I can generally sniff out which kind of coven we're dealing with. I'm a known neutral to the mystical side because while I do hunt, I only go after genuine threats to exposing the other side of life. Things like Wendigos and the like."

Gabriel made some calls among the vampire covens he had contact with (he supplied them with blood when they were being watched and they supplied him with information) and asked around.

Finally he closed his phone and went to find his brothers.

"Bunch of _Twilight_ hippies. Relatively harmless, but a bunch of idealistic idiots."

"Great. Gordon said he plans to wipe them out, and if he learns you have connections..." said Dean.

"Shit. Why did Loki have to pick _now_ to mess around with my damn core... hang on while I get some back up. There was a werewolf pack ten miles from here, and they can occasionally tolerate the hippies," said Gabriel.

* * *

Gabriel found Dean working with Gordon to keep him off the trail, and Sam not trusting either of them.

"Shit. We need to get Dean out of there before he gets dragged in with Gordon..."

"How bad is his bounty?" asked Sam.

He had become acquainted with the FBI's bounty policy when he pretended to be Gabriel to take down what he affectionately called 'Level 1' targets. The higher the bounty, the more extensive their rap sheet. Gabriel slid his PDA to his twin.

"Shit."

A hundred thousand dollar bounty. Gordon was considered a schizophrenic with paranoid delusions about vampires and was a serial murderer because he had been caught on tape multiple times. The only reason he hadn't been caught was because hunters knew he wasn't lying about the vampires, and such a close knit group tended to cover for it's own. For it to be so high meant that Gordon presented a much bigger risk factor to be around than the Winchesters had believed.

"I got word from the pack. They'll hide the vampires and relocate them to another state. I love being a neutral."

Gabriel waited for Gordon to come past before he slammed his elbow into his gut. Gabe didn't spend all his time bounty hunting or reading... he found new things to do in every state and city he visited. He knew more martial arts than he knew what to do with.

He never wanted to be as helpless as he was when he was captured and forced to watch the long drawn out deaths of those who still believed in him. Hagrid's death had been the worst.

Gabriel made sure to give him a concussion, then call in a specialist claiming Gordon had stumbled across the magical breed of vampire.

Considering he was saving the coven's lives, the vampires paid the obliviator personally. They decided to ignore the fact that the Winchesters were actually related to a known neutral towards the supernatural beings that inhabited the country.

So long as they didn't cause trouble, Gabriel would give them a warning and advise them to change locations. It didn't hurt his case that he openly worked for a demon and hunted at the same time.

* * *

"So how do you like the new upgrade?" asked Loki grinning.

Gabriel was flexing his new wings, which was what the tattoo was for. Angels had real wings that could be partially manifested, but since Gabe was still human he had to have a little help bringing out his new wings without slapping people with them.

"Any reason why they look like crow wings?"

"Long story short, I'm considered the patron of the messengers. Angel of Judgment and all that rot," said Loki shrugging.

"Wait, you mean that series called _The Crow_ is real?"

"Series?"

"There's a set of movies based off of this comic and book series called _The Crow._ Basically some poor bastard is killed early, usually with a loved one, and shortly after a mythical crow appears and gives them a chance at retribution. At the end the crow is taken out and they're made mortal. According to the series the crow's power is fueled by the love of the ones they lost when they were killed, or the love of the ones who died with them," explained Gabriel. He walked over to his massive movie collection and rotated it to the 'C' files.

"I have the entire set," he said.

"Movie night!" cheered Loki.

"Better believe it! Anyway, about the crows?"

"Oh, that mythical crow thing? One of my favorite all time ways of getting out of work. See I got sick of seeing scumbags get away with too much crap like outright murder with no justice, so I decided to speed things up a bit. I made a crow because it was the first animal I came across and it was a known carrion bird. In exchange for ferrying the lost souls across to whatever afterlife they believe in, Dad got off my ass about doing that particular job. So long as the souls don't go on a rampage and kill the innocent, they're free to seek their revenge," said Loki.

"Huh."

After the third movie, Loki was gobsmacked.

"How in the hell did people find out about those incidents?"

"Word of mouth, or a prophet wrote this," said Gabe, popping in a few more caramelized kernels. He made a dynamite caramel popcorn.

"Probably word of mouth. Stuff like this tends to make a stink like you wouldn't believe."

"Oh, I can believe it. Should have seen the grapevine Hogwarts had about my adventures," said Gabe.

"Who knows, maybe that tattoo can give you the same powers. Not like I ever have a use for the things," said Loki.

"Fun. Do these powers come with a spell?"

"An aria, one I set for three very obscure languages."

"Which ones?"

"Norse, Enochian and Latin."

"Can you say it in English, or does it have to be those three?"

"Has to be in those three otherwise the magicals would be able invoke it any time some idiot found the aria."

"So what's the aria?"

"First is the Norse. 'I invoke thee Loki, patron of Chaos.'"

"Subtle," said Gabe, knocking back his beer.

"Next is the Enochian. 'I invoke thee Gabriel, he who judges in Courts most High.'"

"Who came up with that one?" asked Gabe.

"Dad. He thought it was funny," said Loki, "And of course there is the last, which is in Latin. 'I invoke the power of the Crow, the Redeemer of the Lost Souls that dwell upon mortal plains.'"

"Why is that one longer?"

"Dad said that if I was going to make worker bees to get out of dealing with these cases, then the invocation has to be very specific. In any event should you have to invoke the 'Crow' as you call it, then chances are I'll be feeding you the aria directly just to make sure you don't botch it. But since you're still alive it would only be a temporary invocation. Only the dead can use the power to it's full extent."

"Because the only times you can't feel pain is when you're already dead," said Gabe.


	7. Chapter 7

Gabriel had agreed to come with them to visit their mother's grave, mostly because John had made a bad deal and it cost him his life...and the infamous Colt.

Sam had convinced Dean to at least make a stop so they could bury John's dog tags with their mother, so she had a part of him even when his body had long burned to ash.

It was Sam who found the burnt out area around a new grave.

"Oh boy. This is most definitely not a good thing," said Gabriel.

"How bad?"

"It's a cemetery, and this grave dirt looks too fresh. What the hell do you think?" asked Gabriel flatly.

Sam sidled up to his twin with a look on his face.

"About that prank to force him to admit he's upset about Dad's death?"

"Still on," smirked Gabe.

Gabriel loved movies, the more obscure the better. This month it was the work of Mel Brooks.

Plus this was his way to get into the yearly Winchester prank war.

* * *

"GABRIEL!" shouted Dean when he got out of the shower.

His hair held back by a hat with a feather on it, and instead of a towel he was in some mock parody of a Robin Hood outfit...the one with tights.

Sam was _howling_ while he took multiple pictures.

"Where's Gabriel?" growled Dean.

"Going somewhere...Robin?" said Sam, howling.

"I am going to get him. I don't know how or when, but I will get him for this."

"Gabriel wanted me to give you this."

If Dean was annoyed now, he was pissed when he read the note.

Sam was grinning outright evilly, because Gabriel had told him what he had done.

Every time Dean got near anything alcoholic, he would start singing the song 'Men in Tights'...the entire song.

* * *

Gabriel had to leave early because Crowley had called him a few hours ago, all but screaming profanities about a bunch of magicals there to harass him for his best employee.

For all the hassle and headaches Gabriel gave him, he was one of his best. The demons had to go through Crowley just to use Gabriel to claim contracts early.

And they hated every minute of it. If Crowley hadn't been the one in charge of most of the Crossroad Demons, having Gabriel as his pawn would have made him the King in very short order. As it was he had gotten a...promotion...of sorts.

He was now in charge of _all_ the contracts managed by the pit demons. It had taken him months to sort through half that crap, and it cost Gabriel thirty markers to insure that his mother, who had apparently made a demon deal before he and Sam were even _born_ went to where she belonged.

And it cost Gabriel another thirty markers just to get the profiles of Mary Winchester, her parents, and the entire family tree.

Apparently Hunting ran very deep on the mother's side of the family. Nearly seventy-five percent of the people on Mary's side were hunters, or researchers. Be fun to see the look on his brother's faces when they heard about that.

* * *

Gabriel couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"_Dean_ handed over the keys to the Impala," said Gabe incredulous.

"_And then the same guy turns out to have the same powers as me,"_ said Sam, equally surprised.

"Shit. He must be one of the psychics Azazel jump started. That sounds far too much like the Imperious curse for me to be happy. I'm on my way now," said Gabriel.

Gabriel got there in time to get hit with a haymaker from Dean.

"That was for the tights," he said.

"Fair enough. Just means I'll have to unleash the twin's old pranks on your ass later," said Gabriel rubbing his jaw.

"Oh no, you are not joining Sam's side in our yearly prank war!" said Dean.

"I'm not joining either side. I'm on my own, remember?" smirked Gabriel, "So what news do you have?"

"So far we've found that the guy was adopted and that his mother was only killed recently..." said Dean.

"Lead on."

It took Gabriel exactly five seconds to realize what was really going on.

"He has a twin," he said flatly.

"How can you be sure?"

"Take a long look at his eyes. One's turning green. And since from the surprised look on his face means this is recent, that can sometimes mean that the person has a twin they aren't aware about. Now the only question is where his twin is, and why he's killing people."

Gabriel didn't say that he got this info from Crowley, who had compiled a list of all those dosed with demon's blood to fight in this stupid tournament. It had taken ten souls to get the information and another five to make it self-updating. According to the list this guy had a twin brother.

Unfortunately it didn't come with photographs, just their names and the basics of their abilities...and it updated once a month.

Gabriel kept half an eye out for anyone displaying an unusually high amount of psi, and it took him two days to find the guy. From there he cornered the murdering bastard and gave him a dose of his own medicine by bringing out the pack.

The idiot actually shit himself in fear when he realized that not only did his power not work on Gabriel, but the other psychic came with a pack of invisible monsters that could and would rend him to pieces once Gabriel gave the mental command.

Sam still hadn't figured out the trick of mental control over the hounds. Then again he didn't keep a pack of them as guard dogs whenever they parked on the side of the road to get some much needed sleep.

* * *

Gabriel was sleeping off yet another hunt, this time a known career criminal who had found a way to evade the cops by making a deal, when his alarms went off.

He had two options. He could either go out and deal with whatever was trying to break into his 'house' (which was actually a tent inside several strong wards that activated the minute he set up shop) or he could let the pack kill the thing. It wasn't Loki, since he was long since keyed into the wards to the point he could pop into the tent directly using his angel powers.

Gabriel looked at the time, and rolled over.

However sleep was not to be, as the sound of the hellhound pack's snarls dragged him out of the warm embrace of Morpheus. Muttering enough curses under his breath to make even a seasoned lady of the night blush, Gabriel put on his work outfit and grabbed a gun. Considering whoever was trying to break in had woken him up when all he wanted was sleep, he took the gun off the default setting...which was a beanbag round to wing anyone long enough to cuff them...and went outside.

"Wizards. Of course it would be you idiots," he growled. He cocked the gun and got the more up-to-date of the group to immediately freeze in their tracks.

"Harry..." said one of the women and it took him a moment to realize that it was Granger. Mostly because she was actually wearing something close to the latest fashions and her hair wasn't bushy anymore.

Gabriel realized with a snort that she had probably been picked to try and seduce him...which wasn't happening after she betrayed him.

"Granger. Like my guard dogs?" he asked, not leaving his wards.

She looked at him wide eyed.

"These are yours?" she said in shock. Only the darkest of wizards had hellhounds as pets!

Gabriel snorted.

"Crowley was rather generous to his favorite hunter. Of course I had the pagan god Loki help to make the wards around my house. Now I'm not feeling generous so you have two minutes to either leave or explain your reasoning for tracking me down in the States before I start shooting and give them the command to kill you all," he said with a drawl.

Hermione gulped, but launched into a tale of how the European wizards had realized their mistake and had decided to award him the gold for killing Voldemort and the Death Eaters singlehandedly. How McGonagall had offered to give him the Defense post if they found him, or the chance to be Head Auror without going through training. All of the status and gold taken from him when they learned he was only a Potter by adoption returned...

Gabriel listened to the lies, never once lowering his weapon. The hounds were just waiting to rip these fools apart.

When her arguments started to repeat, she shut her mouth and waited for his answer.

"No."

"No?" she repeated dumbly.

"You think I'm the same naïve fool who followed the idiots who ran the 'Light' side without a question? I've moved on, Granger, and I know you idiots never bothered to do that much. You want me back because I stole nearly all the gold to make galleons before I left and because I'm more magically powerful than any other wizard in Europe. I'm not a fool, and my eyes were opened when you bastards left me for dead after you found out I was a first gen. I like my life working for the demons collecting contracts, and I have no use for any witch from Europe. So no, you can take all your pretty _offers_ and shove them up your collective ass," he said flatly, aiming the gun at the first red head he saw.

"What if we were to sweeten the deal?" asked Granger, looking uncomfortable at the gun aimed at her face.

"With what? Having you whore yourself out to reel me back in because of some puppy love I once had for you before I was thrown to the side? Sorry to say, Granger, but you simply don't appeal to me anymore. Whatever feelings I had for you died when you left me in that ditch to be captured by the Death Eaters. I've found someone else," said Gabriel not even looking remotely interested in the girl.

Gabriel sensed someone exiting the tent and felt gratification when he felt a familiar pair of arms around his waist.

"Sensed my foul mood, did you Lo?" he asked without turning around.

Loki smirked behind him.

"More like Crowley called and gave me a head's up about the fact these idiots finally tracked you down through another demon. Said he wanted to give you some time to kill them before letting me know they found you," said Loki.

Granger looked like she had been slapped with a dead fish that had rotted in the noonday sun too long.

"You've really become a freak, haven't you?" she said in disgust.

"Lo, would that no-fly thing in England still be in effect?"

"War ended. No reason to avoid it, even if the demons are running amok making deals since the power-vacuum you left," said Loki.

"Good. Now would _he_ be upset if I sent a rather pointed message to the magicals back in Europe?"

Loki looked at their souls.

"They look about ready to fall on their own terms, so I doubt he'll complain too much," said Loki.

Gabriel's smirk was cold and predatory. The magicals suddenly realized that their time alive was soon up, if they didn't leave and now. However that time had passed and Gabriel had brought up wards to prevent leaving unless they had angelic support. And with Loki there, that wasn't happening either.

"Time's up. Hope you've updated your wills, because you're not leaving here alive," he said coldly.

It was particularly satisfying shooting Granger in the ass before she managed to 'escape'. The others were all mauled or eaten by the pack.

Loki put Gabriel back to sleep, mostly to keep him from finishing the job. One of the tricks he had picked up since leaving England was the ability to track an apparition to the magical who used it.

And after all the crap England put him through, only to attempt to drag him back now...well, if Loki didn't put Gabriel to sleep then chances were he would try to end them just because he could. For even a semblance of closure.

The last thing he needed was for Gabriel to go on a vengeance streak and fall before he even had a chance to become an angel.

* * *

"What's up Loki? Got a hot case for us?" asked Puck eagerly.

"Better believe it. Seems the Magicals over in Europe want their savior back, but there's no way in the Pit I'm letting them get their hands on one of mine. Now I'm going to have my hands full keeping Gabe here in America and those idiots off his ass. But that doesn't mean I'm going to allow them to do as they please. Which is why I'm here to spread the word to you guys...the no-fly order in England was rescinded," said Loki popping a sucker into his mouth.

"Really?" asked Puck eagerly.

The trickster gods had been somewhat disappointed that Europe had a no-god rule since Voldemort returned. With that rule gone, that meant it was open season again for all the arrogant idiots there...and there were a lot thanks to inbreeding.

"You know what that means don't you? It's gonna be a free-for-all now. Aside from having to avoid demons anyway," said Loki grinning.

Puck cackled. Now that was news he couldn't wait to spread to the other tricksters!

"So you staying here? Too bad, you have some fun ideas for these idiots," said Puck.

Loki was infamous among the trickster gods, if only because he had been 'killed' multiple times but it had never taken.

"I know. But better I stay here and let you guys have all the fun for a change than to risk loosing Gabe," said Loki.

Puck looked at him oddly.

"This guy must be really important if you're passing up karmic justice to inbred morons."

"You have no idea."

* * *

Gabriel woke up in his tent, his wards still very much active and to the sound of the hounds chewing on something.

Looking outside he found them gnawing on thighs and spines, with wands turned into splinters on the ground.

Gabriel yawned...he had seen far worse during his tenure as Voldemort's favorite training tool and frankly he needed coffee before he was willing to even remotely care about the dead magicals outside his door.

His phone rang during his second cup of strong coffee.

"Gabe here... Whoa, whoa, whoa. What in the pit's name do you mean you've found a crossroads demon? No, I'm not about to waste one of my soul chips for someone I don't even know! Sam, the only time I break a contract for someone else is if they made a deal for unselfish reasons like saving someone they loved."

Sam then proceeded to tell him the man they had tracked down who had made a deal to save his wife.

Gabriel pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Alright, I'll make a few calls. Tell Dean to sit tight or I'll shoot him myself," said Gabriel, "Now what was this guy's name again?"

_A few minutes later..._

"Crowley. What do you want Gabriel?" said Crowley making a face. It had been several weeks since his personal collector had called, let alone used up a favor.

Crowley went to his cabinet and used a little magic to look up the contract file.

"Yeah I got it. Says here the man sold his soul to get his wife's health back. Got a few hours before his time is up. What do you mean you brothers stumbled across one of my dealers? So they found one of my underlings and are going to kill her to break the contract? You did tell them it doesn't work like that right?"

"_Of course I told them. Thanks to me you hold all the contracts the demons make unless a higher one takes control of it for a price. Killing this twit won't make a damn bit of good because you still have it."_

"So what are you planning?"

"_How many souls would it take to break this contract and keep them out of trouble?"_

"Two."

"_Done. Now do I have to show up to call off the hounds or will the demon leave this guy alone?"_

"Hold on," said Crowley, grabbing a special stamp from his desk as he held the phone against his ear. He tapped it with his magic, giving it a blood red coat and stamped it on the contract.

A bright red 'COMPLETED' was stamped on the file, and he put it back in the cabinet.

"Right, this guy's free to go. But you might want to make sure that she get's the message in time, otherwise he'll be mauled anyway."

"_Don't I know it. Thanks Crow,"_ said Gabriel before he hung up.


	8. Chapter 8

Gabriel was irritated. He had another run-in with a magical yesterday, most of whom still didn't get that Gabriel had no intention of returning to England to reclaim the Potter gold or all the fame. Then again, with all the trouble that the tricksters were putting them through on his behalf it was unlikely they would bother him for much longer until the got rid of them.

Today, however, he had another reason for being annoyed.

"So let me get this straight... You two were at Bobby's house when these dumbass magicals showed up looking for a Harry Potter, mistook Sam for me, and they proceeded to wreck Bobby's safe room under the house?"

Dean nodded, pressing an ice pack to a spectacular black eye from a book that had been launched in his direction. They had barely been able to fend the witches off with their guns.

"How bad was the damage?" asked Gabriel.

"See for yourself," said Bobby nursing his third beer.

Gabriel took one look at the mess and growled.

"Dammit. I had hoped they took the hint when I set the Pack on them... should have known all that inbreeding ruined what little common sense they had..." he said angrily.

Gabriel went to work clearing up the mess left by the magicals, his mind working overtime on adjustments to the house.

Once he finished cleaning up, he went to Bobby with his offer to keep a repeat from occurring twice. And the older hunter accepted without a second thought.

"So...what exactly is this?" asked Dean two months later.

"Magical Faraday cage."

"What's a Faraday cage?" asked Dean.

"It's a cage made of certain metals constructed solely to absorb and redirect electrical energy. You could stand in one that's secured and closed during a thunderstorm and not even feel a spark," said Sam. He had heard of the things, but never seen one before.

"This is my special secret to how I can sleep in a magically-expanded tent on the side of the road and feel more secure than in a roadside hotel," said Gabriel.

"You sleep in a tent?" asked Dean.

Gabriel pointed at an unassuming tent next to his motorcycle.

"Go inside and tell me what you think. Oh, and don't bother to duck or Loki will just laugh at you," said Gabriel.

Dean complied, though he ducked instinctively anyway. Gabriel could hear Loki's mocking laughter from the open door and the camera going off at the gobsmacked look on Dean's face.

"WHAT THE HELL?!"

Sam went in after, though he had to duck only slightly to get inside because he was taller than Dean was.

"How...?"

"Magicals have a charm that can allow them to have full-sized houses in the weirdest places. It's easier and cheaper than renting a hotel all the time. Frankly I have no idea why more of the poorer magicals don't use this charm more often. It's not that difficult to cast," said Gabriel.

Sam decided to ignore the weird fact that his brother practically lived in a mansion inside a tent. He was more interested in this Faraday cage Gabriel had created mostly out of paranoia, boredom and a lot of help from Loki.

"So how does this thing work?"

"The first is the cage itself. Once the tent goes up, the Faraday cage automatically comes into life for a good chunk of the outside area. And because paranoia is our bread and butter, it doesn't just rest on the ground, it goes under it for at least two feet deep. This stabilizes the cage, making it hard for anyone to simply push the tent that's resting inside and as an added bonus makes the entire thing rather resistant to tornadoes and high winds. The next round is the runes etched into the metal...this makes it incorporeal unless a certain energy attempts to break in."

"How can the metal become incorporeal?" asked Sam.

"That's my contribution. I happen to be a rune-master, and when he told me what he wanted I simply helped him find the right combinations," said Loki, snacking on a sucker.

"Here's the tricky part. The metal itself is solid, but while the runes are active they become invisible and incorporeal. The problem is that the metal can only be set to one energy signature at a time before the entire thing fails and the ward is broken. So I came up with a rather simple, but very time consuming solution."

"And what was that?" asked Dean, raiding Gabriel's fridge for a beer.

"Layering it. The first shell is for magical energy set to human standards. Basically the idiots who broke into the house. The first layer is about the size of the average two-story house in a perfect square shape. This is the layer that anchors to the ground and insures that I won't be moved by high winds. The second shell is set to demonic energy, basically an anti-demon ward... it's slightly smaller than the first one and barely provides three feet of breathing space for any demons that come knocking. Third is spiritual, and it prevents ghosts, reapers...anything spiritually inclined. It's got more room to maneuver mostly because this is the layer my Pack generally stays on the outside of. It extends roughly three feet from the tent."

"What about the last one?"

"The last is one of Loki's creations. I have no idea what it does," said Gabriel.

"It's an identification ward. The only ones who can enter the tent are those invited, which was why the flippant way Gabe told you to see for yourself allowed you to come in. If Gabe doesn't allow you inside, then the ward turns solid if you manage to get past the first three and the Pack, only allowing air in."

"So what happens to the Pack if the tent turns solid?" asked Dean.

"There are several 'houses' inside the third ward that the Pack sleeps in. Basically they have their own little dog houses inside the ward itself so they don't need to stay in the tent. In the event that the fourth layer turns solid, they go into their area and wait for the tent's ward to return to normal and allow me out. So far that's never happened, but I'll not lose my Pack just because they were caught between the second and third wards."

"What do you mean caught?" asked Dean.

"In the event the fourth ward is tripped, the three others start to constrict. If they are outside the houses, then they'll be crushed as each of the inner wards start to push into the one before it like that wall from the first _Star Wars_ movie that nearly crushed the heroes in the garbage shoot," said Gabriel flatly. Dean winced.

"What if someone makes it into the houses before the wall start to move?" asked Sam.

Gabriel smirked.

"The only things allowed into the houses are the Pack and their pups...and the only things allowed out of them are the adults. If anyone makes it into a house they'll be faced with overprotective mother hounds who won't hesitate to rip them apart," he said.

Dean gave him an odd look.

"How many of these...dogs...do you have?"

"I started with a basic pack of ten. I now have three times that many, and I've found a booming trade with some of the more interesting sanctuaries who are hoping that spirit hounds can have the more violent temperaments from their hell hound heritage breed out through cross-breeding. So far we've found that two generations are still too violent to turn into guard dogs, though the invisibility trick seems to remain strong in each hound no matter what it's bred with. I currently have fifteen in the houses, the rest are around the country."

"You know I bet hunters would pay good money to have a safe house like this already made for them to crash in..." said Sam, looking at the schematics.

"Add a few armories and the guarantee that they'll know when it's not safe..." said Dean.

Gabriel paused in his etchings and actually looked at them.

"Huh...not exactly a bad back-up for the bounty business, and with charms it would be cakewalk to go through the normal construction businesses to make them...the biggest pain in the ass would be making the Faraday cages, but if I paid the goblins to do it..."

"How much would you charge for a night?" asked Sam. Somehow he knew what his twin was thinking.

"A hundred a night, and five for a week," said Gabriel immediately.

"That's cheaper than most five-star hotels, and they'd know it was safe," said Dean.

"Plus I would include free food, booze and medical supplies for everything that doesn't require a license to use," said Gabriel.

"Hell, for that kind of treatment I'd pay two hundred!" said Dean.

"How about an underground parking garage? So that you know your escape vehicle isn't going to have any surprises and you could do maintenance in safety?" asked Gabe.

"Gabriel, if you made something like that I would gladly pay three hundred a night just to stay," said Dean seriously.

"I'd have to get it worked out, but it's doable. But there's no way I could advertise the Faraday cage trick without telling them that it's made by a witch," said Gabriel.

"Claim it's a devil's trap made of iron. That would keep their questions from popping up."

"You mean like that huge ass one that's out in Wyoming?"

"How huge?" asked Sam.

"Several hundred _miles_ huge, and it's all to protect a single devil's gate. And get this, it was made by Colt," said Gabriel.

Dean heard Bobby yelling for them, and Gabriel let him in. seeing the shock on the man's face was worth letting him come inside.

"What in the hell?"

"Welcome to my house. You think I would be stupid enough to sleep in a flimsy tent ("Flimsy? I've seen houses that could take less than this place!"-Loki) without some serious protections around it?"

Bobby looked at him seriously.

"Can you do the same for my panic room?"

"You mean add a bathroom and the like without compromising the whole circle? Yeah, that I could do. Hell I could make each line a new room if you wanted...a house within a house."

"...Could you do that for the Impala?"

"Dean, haven't you wondered why Sam has quit bitching about the lack of space in that car of yours lately?" asked Gabriel. Dean turned to Sam.

"What? After I found out he could expand things without you noticing I asked him to give me some more leg room and the ability to stretch out in the backseat. I would have had him do the armory in the trunk, but I didn't want you to get all snippy about him messing around with your baby," said Sam.

"I wouldn't have bitched about him making the trunk big enough to hold a demon _and_ our weapons!" said Dean defensively.

"Dean, you're thinking way too small. Try a five-hellhound strong pack, two demons and an armory at _least _the same size as the Impala, and all you have to do is press a few gems on the lid of the trunks in the right sequence," said Gabriel smugly.

"He's not joking, by they way. If you go to that door frame on the far wall of the living room and press the three blue colored ones you'll get a real surprise," said Loki.

Dean blinked.

"Hell, I'm game," he said, going to press the three blue colored gems on the door. There was a whirl of color before Loki pushed him through.

Dean came up sputtering from the pool. Sam cracked up.

"You have a _pool_ in a freaking tent?!" he said swimming back to the door.

"Not just any pool Dean-o. Try a holy water pool. Gabe hates having to pay some holy idiot to bless water, so he had one bless an entire large hose connected to a fire hydrant. Took him a few hours and several charms to avoid the cops, but he now has an entire pool full of holy water that he can toss a demon into."

"A holy water pool? What in heaven's name do you have in this place?" asked Bobby.

"There's the pool, a large library from when I robbed Hogwarts before I left while everyone was preoccupied with the demons and hellhounds eating the Death Eaters alive, a massive pantry, two different freezers..." Gabriel started to list. The more he told them, the wider and more disbelieving their eyes got, except for Loki's. When he finally stopped, the three automatically went to the kitchen, grabbed a beer and downed it.

"What?"

"Dude...how do you _pay_ for all of this?" asked Dean.

"Twenty already condemned souls."

"What?" asked Dean.

"Crow was pitching one hell of a fit to have twenty Death Eater souls in hell to get some arch duke off his ass, so I cut him a deal. I got a house that I could pack up and move, I/E a magical tent that had a particular feature installed. Any room I could think of that could reasonably fit into a magical tent, it would be made and added to that door. Though it doesn't do holy water pools or cages built to keep a demon out, so I had to have Loki help me with that."

"It was a fun project...and the rewards for my help were worth the week off from pranks," said Loki with a wriggle of his eyebrows.

Dean gagged.

"I so do _not_ want to hear the details of my baby brother's sex life unless it's with some insanely hot chick!" said Dean.

"Well if you want to hear about an insanely hot chick..." said Loki, before Gabriel stopped what he was doing to hex his boyfriend silent.

"No. Absolutely not. I thought we agreed never to speak of the time you dosed me for an April Fool's day prank," said Gabriel glaring.

"I have got to hear this!" said Dean cackling.

Loki smirked and broke the spell...and then proceeded to tell Dean in exactly detail what he had done. Gabriel poured himself into the etchings on the metal, if only to drown out Dean's cackling and Sam's snorts of laughter. Even Bobby was snickering a little.

By the time Gabriel had finished the first series of strips for the layer, the others were howling.

"Lo', do we have any..."

"I think we still have enough for the first layer, but the other two will need more metal. We might have to hit Midnight's again," said Loki.

"What's Midnight's?" asked Dean.

"A neutral bar, one that's frequented by hunters and demons alike. The neutrality is maintained by a former witch doctor who will kick the ass of any hunter who tries to exorcise or hunt the patrons. If you have a beef, you have to take it outside or else."

"How do you know about it then?" asked Dean.

"I took him. Midnight doesn't care about heaven or hell. If you can pay, he'll help you out. He's strictly neutral and doesn't care who knows. There is, however, a small catch to entering the bar."

"What catch?" asked Sam.

"You have to have a small amount of the Sight to get in. The bouncer holds up a cheap Tarot card laced with certain energies, and if you can see what's on the other side you can get in. If not, you can't enter. It's a simple trick to keep out the fakers and enthusiasts," said Gabriel.

"Seriously?"

Loki grinned, before he went to a nearby bookshelf and pulled down a box.

"I bought one of Midnight's spares to help train Gabe here in how to See. If you can tell me what's on the other side, you could enter Midnight's no problem. Did you know he has a booming trade in artifacts? You could find something belonging to a witch and sell it to him for a good price."

"I'm surprised Dad hasn't heard of this guy," said Sam.

"He probably had, but I doubt Midnight would let someone like John in. The man hates demons so much he would have gotten kicked out before he had a chance to make any deals," said Gabriel.

Loki nodded his head in agreement. With the way he reacted to Gabriel's line of work and the fact he willingly helped demons...it was highly doubtful he would have entered Midnight's without getting kicked out for trying to kill the demons.

Loki held up a few cards, and to Sam's private surprise he could see vague pictures on the backs of them. Dean could see blurs too, but it wasn't much. Bobby couldn't see a thing.

"Interesting. You two might be able to get in, if it was a little stronger. Hey babe, come here for a minute. I want to try something."

Gabriel slapped Loki's head, but came over anyway.

"So?"

"Try grabbing Sam's shoulder."

Gabriel blinked, but grasped his twin's shoulder.

"Now, Sam try looking through the card again."

Sam looked at the card again and to his shock he could see a bird on a ladder clear as day.

"How...?"

"Twins. Being around Gabriel, who's more powerful than you will boost your own powers a little. Perhaps to the point that your powers will be amplified. See the thing about twins is that when they are close, natural psychic ability is amplified with physical contact."

"Would it work on Dean?"

"Possibly, but I wouldn't bet on it."

Gabriel grabbed Dean's shoulder and Dean tried again.

"It's a little clearer... Rat in a dress I think..." said Dean.

"There is a way to boost powers, if you have any. But you wouldn't like it," said Loki.

"What would it involve?"

"Dean seeing hell for exactly three seconds and nearly drowning," said Loki flatly.

"What?"

"Water is a natural conduit, and the crash course for waking up any ability towards Sight is to hold the person underwater until the bubbles stop and time seems to stand still. Then you drag them out. Another way is to own a cat, but Gabe doesn't really like them since the Pack has a bad habit of chasing the things."

"Is it safe?"

"Considering if we did give you a crash course, it would be in the holy water pool and with a specialist nearby to drag you out? Yeah. But the problem is that when you see them, they can see you."

"Not to mention that doing this gives you the ability see full-blooded hellhounds and well as seeing when someone is possessed by above or below," said Gabriel, braiding the cage. Thanks to magic, the metal was malleable enough that it could be braided by hand like yarn. All without burning his hands.

Dean thought about that a moment.

"I'm in," he said finally.


	9. Chapter 9

It took them five minutes to upgrade Dean's limited Sight to the point he could see the cards like Sam and Gabe, but once they did he got a nasty surprise in the form of Gabriel's dogs.

Gabe had neglected to warn Dean that having a fully powered Sight also gave him the ability to see the Pack.

Gabriel had far too much fun getting his more behaved members of the pack to sneak up behind Dean and bark, scaring the hell out of him.

From there it took them a few days to reach Midnight's bar.

Gabriel was mostly going to visit a fellow cynic, John Constantine.

John wasn't a fan of heaven, and he had screwed over Hell almost as many times as the Winchester family had. The only reason he got along with Gabe was because the second time they had a drink together Gabe had used up twenty favors to give John an extension without asking for anything in return.

Constantine had been surprised about the whole 'demon bounty hunter', but unlike the Winchesters he hadn't tried to condemn Gabriel for it out of hand. He knew what it was like to have no way out, only to take the first chance that one had to escape.

If he could get out of hell by doing some angel's dirty work, then he would do the dirty work. As a suicide who had been brought back, John was doomed to hell once he died. The knowledge of his fate and the things he saw drove him to be a compulsive smoker, and it had recently lead to cancer.

So whenever Gabriel was in the area, he usually called him up for a drink. He was one of the few John called a friend, if only because they both enjoyed pissing off what John liked to call 'half-breeds'.

Gabriel had done something many would claim impossible. He had gotten John Constantine to laugh his ass off from the looks the demons gave Gabriel when he used his favorite insult...and then gave John a whole list of them to use on the demons he 'deported' back to hell.

* * *

Gabriel lead the way to the bar, and let Sam go first. He subtly had his hand on his brother's back so he could See the card clearly, and then did the same for Dean.

"Bird on a ladder," said Gabriel.

Loki had gone ahead, mostly because he could. He was the one to introduce Gabe to the place to begin with.

Dean took one look at the demon-possessed people, and it was only the fact that he outnumbered that kept him from trying anything.

"Welcome to Midnight's. A haven for those who rise and fall. It's neutral territory and any hunting will have to be done outside the bar, otherwise Midnight or his bouncers will kick your ass out and possibly ban you. They do allow hunters here, but only the ones that aren't complete idiots...so please, watch what you say Dean."

"Oi."

"Winchester! Bout time you showed up!" said John. He liked Gabriel, he honestly did. Guy had a sense of humor that appealed to John greatly and so did his attitude towards heaven and hell.

If it weren't for the fact that Gabriel only barely believed in God, John would have dragged him to the church were the arch angel herself hung out just to see the look on her face when Gabriel royally insulted her. She was just that annoying.

"Constantine! Meet my brothers... this handsome fellow is Sam, and the ugly midget is Dean," said Gabriel.

"Hey! You're identical twins, so why the hell is he the handsome one?!" protested Dean.

"Well anyone who shares my face is obviously better looking and besides we're both taller than you by at least several inches," said Gabriel without hesitation.

Loki let off a bark of laughter at that one. Gabriel could never resist goading Dean about the fact he was the shortest of the three.

John snorted in amusement.

"So what brought you to my part of the world?" he asked.

"Celebrating Dean's recent awakening of the Sight. He still can't get used to the Pack sneaking up behind him," snorted Gabriel.

John snorted even more. He had seen Gabriel's Pack, and if they could be tamed enough to act like normal dogs, or at least half-feral ones he wouldn't mind having one as a pet. If only to annoy the angel called Gabriel he talked to.

"So you two hunters? What's your specialty?"

"We tend to deal with demons, but we don't really specialize."

"Right, right... Gabe mentioned a demon killed your mother. Which reminds me, I've been keeping half an ear to the ground Gabe, and according to rumors there's less than fifty of these...demonic psychics you mentioned still in the game. So far hardly any of my contacts are willing to talk about it, but what little they did tell me isn't good."

"Yeah, I've heard. Something about a demon army that includes the seven sins of humanity. If Azazel does try to tap me, I'll just stay in my house until the whole nonsense blows over...or I shot him with one of my special guns from outside my door."

"You and that weird tent of yours. So how's Loki?"

"Right behind ya Johnny," said Loki carrying the drinks.

John knew Loki was really an angel. His eyes were a dead give away. However the sad fact was that Loki was one of the few angels who didn't give two shits about the fact he had screwed up when he was a kid trying to escape his Sight. Which put him several pegs above the other angels he had to deal with.

There was also the fact that Loki tended to annoy demons with Gabe, including one that really pissed John off whenever they ran into each other by the name of Balthazar.

"So what is it exactly you do?" asked Sam.

"I'm an exorcist."

"John's a suicide. He has the Sight since he was a kid, and since he had no idea what he had he tried to escape it. Thing is, he was brought back and now he's pretty much determined to re-earn a place in heaven because of his mistake. If he dies before he gets his place, he goes straight to hell...and he's pissed off nearly as many demons as dear old _dad_ has," said Gabe.

There had been no love lost between John Winchester and his youngest. They had tolerated each other for short periods if they had to, but otherwise they wanted nothing to do with each other.

Constantine snorted.

"I've been told repeatedly that I'm the one soul that Lucifer would come out of the pit himself to collect."

"And I'm telling you, Lucifer doesn't give two shits about humanity, let alone know how to get past the seals on his cage. If he did, he would have been out of hell causing death and destruction eons ago. Humanity is little more than bags of pus to him," said Gabriel, paraphrasing something Crowley had told him.

"He doesn't care about humans...so how do you think he feels about his own creations, some of which are humans who fell?" said Loki.

"It's what they've been telling me. Either of you mind?" asked John, taking out a cigarette.

"Go ahead," said Dean.

"Seriously Johnny, that extension Gabe got you will only last for so long before the damage returns with all that crap you keep putting into your system," said Loki.

"So what's your deal? I mean aside from the demon killing your mother?"

"Demon killing mom was the original reason John and Dean got into the game. But Sam here, he was trying to be normal. Give up hunting...then Azazel showed up and killed his fiancee Jessica like he did mom, so Sam was reeled back in."

"And what about you Gabe?" asked Dean.

"Me? I want some damn payback for dealing with fucking England and the bullshit he put me through. Now don't get me wrong, I love having magic...makes things ten times easier. But if I had to choose between that shitty life I had to deal with before making the deal and keeping my magic, or being raised with Sam like I should have been, I would have chosen being raised like a hunter every time. I hate England and I really hate magicals."

"Gabe here tends to buy pictures of people from England as shooting practice and makes dummies that look like them for the pups to maul while they're teething," said Loki far too cheerfully.

"Which reminds me... you tame those things down yet?"

"Not yet... though we're hopeful. The recent set of pups has only mauled their handlers twice in the last month. Five seems to be a good point," said Gabriel.

"How much you want to bet it'll be six or seven before they calm down enough to have as guard dogs?" said John.

"Hmm...probably the next batch. Once I know they're safe I'll be sure to drop one off for you Johnny."

"Wait, you want one of those things?" said Dean incredulous.

"I piss off a lot of demons by deporting them back to hell. Having a spirit hound around to keep them off my ass while I deal with them is a small price to pay," said John flatly.

"Again, Johnny here is higher up on the demonic shit list than either of you combined," said Gabe.

"Which reminds me... Gabe said that your dad had a lot of occult crap too dangerous to have out..." said John.

"He's got several storage lockers full of it. Some in curse boxes. Why?" asked Dean.

"You do realize you can sell it here right? Midnight takes the oath of neutrality very seriously," said Gabriel.

"Make some quick cash, not have to rely on credit card scams..."

"Isn't that the reason why Midnight makes everyone pay in cold hard currency instead of getting a credit card reader?" asked Gabriel amused.

John snorted. The one time Winchester Sr. came to the bar and tried to use a credit card, he had been fairly put out when he learned that they only accepted cash.

Midnight was neutral, not an idiot. He didn't want some cop in his bar trying to track down credit card fraud. And the last time some idiot tried to pass off a counterfeit bill...well, he still tended to quack like a duck for an hour when someone said the right phrase.

"No way... Dad would haunt us if he found out we sold some of that stuff in his lockers," said Dean.

Gabriel snorted.

"After what that asshole did, he ended up in hell anyway. I doubt the demons would let him escape just to haunt you," said Gabe.

"What do you mean?" asked John.

"John Winchester was a total hard ass and an idiot. He refused to even consider the idea of using another demon against Azazel, let alone try to use my unique connection to the crossroads demons to find out where Azazel is. And the second he learned I had magic, natural magic at that... there's a reason I kept two states between us," said Gabriel.

"From what I've heard of John, he would be stupid enough to think he can kill dear ol' Lucy with the Colt if he ever broke out," said Loki with a snort.

"Lucifer?" said Sam.

"Lucifer isn't a demon, no matter how many he might be able to create. He's an arch angel, the first of the Fallen for his hubris and because he refused to bow to humanity. And the Colt was only meant to kill demons, never angels. The guy who made it probably wasn't even aware that angels even existed."

"And how would a pagan god know this?" asked Dean sarcastically.

John blinked.

"Hold up a minute. What do you mean, pagan god?" he said.

"Dude, he's a trickster. Doesn't the name give it away?"

"No, Loki's not a pagan god. He's a half-breed...the angelic variety to be specific," said John.

Gabriel couldn't help it, he started cackling.

"Oh, you got it half right Johnny. Loki's not a half-breed, or a human who's slated to become an angel. He's a full-blood. An angel who took a vessel. See this bar is full of people who are slated to either ascend to full angel status or fall into full demon. But Loki...he's a full angel who hides as a trickster god. You should have seen Crow's face when I first started hanging around him. Like he smelled something really foul," said Gabriel.

Crowley had been around his personal collector long enough to filter out the smell of divinity, but he still didn't like having Gabriel around after another visit with his boyfriend.

"I still say that aura trick of yours was cheating," pouted Loki.

"Would someone explain, please?" begged Dean.

"First time I met Loki, he was looking for the Hound of Judgment to see if I was worth being targeted by his particular brand of lessons. Thing is, I surprised him by seeing right through his disguise and figuring out _who_ he really was the second time we ran into each other. One thing lead to another and now he's my boyfriend," said Gabriel flatly.

"How did you two end up together anyway?" asked John. He never would have thought a half-breed or a full angel would consent to date a human, let alone one that had been tainted with demon's blood.

"The English morons were trying to reel him back to their country through a rather obscure ritual, and I happened to be hanging out with Gabe here at the time. Only way to break it was to change his magical signature which would cause the ritual to backfire on the idiots using it. Sure you want the details?" said Loki with a leer.

"So every time you two... you know... his signature changes?" said Dean looking a little green around the gills.

"Why Dean-o, didn't know you were a prude..." said Loki grinning.

"Yeah Dean, considering the laundry list of women you've been with since you hit puberty..." said Gabriel also leering.

"What is this, gang up on the older brother day?" complained Dean.

"Don't worry, it's Sam's turn tomorrow," said Loki.

"Hey! Leave me out of this!"

And so the world turned another day. Constantine and the Winchesters met for the first time, hitting it off over annoying demons for the hell of it and poking fun at Gabriel and Loki...and they got a new ally that wouldn't judge them over the screwed up things they did.

Yes, Constantine was a bit of a prick, but so was Gabriel when he was cranky or stressed out. And he was still easier to get along with than John Winchester ever was.

Constantine knew what it was like to really screw up and have it hang over your head for the rest of your life. Especially when people insisted on reminding you of your mistakes and never caring about your side of events.


	10. Chapter 10

Gabriel was half asleep when Sam called him.

"WHAT?" he said sleepily.

"_Sorry. What time is it where you're at?"_

"Sam...it is currently... Four in the god damn morning. Couldn't this have waited until I don't know_ noon_?" asked Gabriel yawning.

He could hear Sam wince on the other end of the line.

"_I had no idea. I thought it was only two."_

"What do you need Sam?"

"_Dean is driving me up the wall with how paranoid he's been lately. Any chance we could swap for a few days?"_

When Sam couldn't take another minute of Dean's bullshit, he switched places with Gabriel. Gabriel hid his shoulder tattoos, pretended he was Sam and generally got to enjoy some quality time with Dean.

Sam could put up with Loki for a few days if it meant not having to deal with Dean. Even if Loki did tend to be a bit...grabby...with Sam's ass during that time.

* * *

Gabriel had Loki take him to the area Sam was at and the swapped places.

"By the way, keep an eye out for the pack, one of the females is about ready to pop with another litter, and most of them are scheduled to be given to the sanctuaries as guard dogs in a month."

"So what do I have to do?"

"Make sure that the pups don't get eaten by the older ones mostly. Your Sight should be strong enough for you to see the pups," said Gabriel.

"Are any of them tamed enough to play tug-of-war with?" asked Sam hopeful.

"Don't know. This current batch should be a sixth gen, so chances are that they _might_ be tame enough to play with. No telling at this point."

Sam perked up. He liked dogs.

"Here's a mirror-phone in case Dean drives you up the wall," said Loki handing it over to Gabriel.

"Thanks. Tell me when the pups are born okay?"

"Of course!" said Loki.

* * *

Gabriel had the first death vision of his life. And somehow he knew this was all Sam's fault. He had jerked up awake with an awful sensation of a demonic presence in his head and it took him ten minutes to clear that out without gagging.

Just because he worked for demons didn't mean he let them in his head. He had standards after all!

"So let me get this straight. You saw me ventilate some dude in Oregon?" said Dean.

"Yeah. There's only two places named Rivergrove, and only one that would have a poster of Crater Lake," said Gabriel. He had to act like Sam after all.

"So what... I just ganked the guy? No real reason?" pressed Dean.

"You seemed to think that he had something inside of him, but I didn't see any demon possession," said Gabriel.

Of course he had a feeling this was a total set up for Sam.

* * *

"Dean!" shouted Gabriel. He had let Dean go to the door while he went to the windows.

Inside was a woman bound to a chair. There was a man with a knife nearby looking like he was about to cut her.

Dean busted into the house, clocking the kid who answered and knocking him out cold. Gabriel bust in and shot the one with the knife with a beanbag round, causing him to his hit head against an oak table. From the damage to the temple it was clear he would bleed out before they got any help for him.

The woman screamed in horror.

"Damn Sammy, where'd you learn to shoot that fast?" asked Dean.

Gabriel blinked. Dean still hadn't figured out when he and Sam had swapped places? He knew they were identical twins, but come on, his actions alone should have told Dean he wasn't Sam, but Gabe.

Hell, the bean bag round should have told the idiot he was Gabriel. Sam didn't have them in his guns.

"Reflex?" he said.

The woman had a cut on her leg from where the man had used the knife...and oddly so did the man Gabriel had killed on reflex.

Gabriel had a bad feeling about this.

* * *

"So Sammy, what do you think this is?" asked Dean, once the woman was in the clinic.

"Certain demonic viruses can be transferred through fluid contact. If this isn't a case of demonic possession..." said Gabriel.

"Wait, demonic viruses?" said Dean.

"What did you think thrives in the pit Dean? Sunshine and rainbows? Certain bacteria and viruses tend to mutate under those conditions and if a demon knows what he's doing he can infect a whole bunch of people. I've seen a few reports from Gabriel's library where a demon infects an entire small town and the magical hunters had to come in and either level the place or quarantine them indefinitely. There's an entire department in the magical government dedicated to countering viruses like that," said Gabriel.

He wasn't actually lying. Sam did on occasion tend to raid his library, and there really was an entire force dedicated to countering magical or demonic viruses that cropped up or mutated without warning.

"Yikes. Any idea what we're dealing with?"

"Until we see her start to show signs, no. Though I have a bad feeling it's the Croatoan Virus, known to make people act irrationally and seek to infect others," said Gabriel.

"What makes you think that?"

"The word on the post. It wasn't until I saw that wound and their behavior that it reminded me of the case. According to legend, Roanoke vanished without warning in a single night..."

"But?" said Dean.

"But I saw the case file in Gabriel's collection while I was looking up something else. According to the file, Roanoke was quarantined and then they killed every citizen in a single night when the magicals found that they could infect others through fluid exchange. The bodies were destroyed and the place became a ghost town."

"And what did the official records say caused the virus?" asked Dean.

"A demon who was possessing someone who happened to have the virus in their blood. Demon possession prevents it from taking hold and allows them to act normally...there was one other person who didn't react to the virus though..."

"A vessel?" guessed Dean.

"The demon had infected the town trying to smoke out the vessel. Apparently some seraph had been taking a few days off work with approval and the pit got wind of it, so they tried to catch him with the virus. It was the first known use of it on earth," confirmed Gabriel.

"So how did the magicals know there was trouble?"

"Hoodoo witch doctor. He came to the first official he found who directed him to the Magical Viruses, and once it was confirmed he wasn't high like some of the people who go there, they surrounded and dealt with the people inside."

"So how do we know if we're dealing with a virus or a mass possession?"

"Mass possession, we just need to borrow the loudspeakers and start chanting. Virus, we just need to find the demon responsible. According to the report, the virus itself vanished from the bodies twelve hours after the demon was exorcised. Apparently it needed constant demonic energy nearby to stay alive."

"Great."

"What the hell happened in there?" demanded the lone doctor of the town

"I saw the man trying to cut his wife, shot him with a beanbag round which would have only caused some minor bruising at best, and he landed wrong," said Gabriel flatly.

There was a reason why his shotguns and rifles were all loaded with a beanbag round. He could only get a fine and a reprimand for some minor bruising upon capture. The FBI had given up trying to get him to stop using them, so they automatically deducted the fine and skipped the reprimand since Gabriel was unrepentant about it. It was less of a headache that way.

"I'm going to call Gabriel or Bobby. Maybe I can get a signal outside of town," said Dean.

"Good luck," said Gabe.

When Dean left he rolled his eyes.

"Damn idjit. I can't believe he still can't tell us apart," muttered Gabriel.

* * *

Gabriel knew Dean was unlikely to make it out, so he painted a devil's trap outside the secondary door and made it invisible. It would only appear if a demon tried to walk past it. And with the limited space it was unlikely that it would be able to avoid it without drawing suspicion.

"You get a signal?" asked Gabriel twenty minutes later.

"Couldn't get out. They had the bridge," said Dean.

"What the hell is going on?"

"There's an obscure virus in the town. Something or someone let it loose. You can only get it through fluid exchange, so if you got hit with anything like blood or spit or something of that nature, then I'll have to quarantine you," said Gabriel.

"What the hell kind of virus is this?" demanded the sergeant.

"One that doesn't belong. Once we find out who set it loose and catch them, we just need to figure out what his game is and then kill them. Deal with the one who set it loose, and in twelve hours everyone goes back to normal...or we get caught in a massive quarantine. Let's hope they don't quarantine us," said Gabriel.

"They? They who?"

"There's a branch in the government that deals with obscure and bizarre viruses. Last time this particular one got out, they erased an entire town."

"Oh yeah? Then why haven't I heard about it?" asked the sergeant.

"You probably have. Ever heard of Roanoke? The lost colony?" said Gabriel.

That shut him up.

Dean was looking at Gabriel oddly.

"So Sammy..."

Gabe looked at him. Dean yanked his sleeve up, exposing something he had only gotten a glimpse of.

"Since when do you have shoulder tattoos dedicated to Loki?" asked Dean glaring.

"_Now_ you figure out we switched? Took you long enough Dean!" said Gabriel snorting.

"Dammit Gabe, why didn't you say something?" said Dean.

"And ruin our fun? Sam's hanging out with Captain Grab-ass and keeping an eye on one of the female hounds for me while he got a break from you, and I got to spend some time with you instead."

Dean blinked. It was sometimes so easy to forget Gabriel had missed out on any family bonding time growing up. Or that he would give anything to have that lost chance back.

Probably why Gabriel had agreed to switch in the first place...to be around his big brother more often.

"Wait...Captain Grab-ass?" said Dean smirking.

Gabriel rolled his eyes.

"Lo' tends to grope Sam just to make him jump. I know he's bi too, but he doesn't want anything to do with Lo' because he's with me," said Gabriel snorting.

Dean snickered.

"So what did you do while you were waiting for my return?"

"Invisible devil's trap. If the demon tries to slip past us as one of the those who haven't been infected, it will catch him and we'll have our culprit."

There was a sudden banging on the door.

"Let me in! Let me in please!"

It was the kid from Gabe's vision. The one Dean was about to kill.

The sergeant opened the door, but the when the kid ran in, he slammed against something invisible. The devil's trap sprung into full view, spray painted on the floor.

"Now we know why I got that vision. This kid's possessed," said Gabriel.

"What the hell is that?!" screamed Pam, the doctor's assistant.

"Demon trap. The minute he walked through the door carrying a demon inside, he sprang it. He can't leave it without the markings being broken, and he can't break it using his powers either. Looks like we found our culprit," explained Gabriel patiently, having rolled down his sleeve before leaving the room.

"Duane let this thing loose?" said the sergeant incredulous.

"Dean, holy water," said Gabriel.

"Right."

"What is that?"

"Regular water that's been blessed. Demon's can't stand the touch of it without steaming up. They don't like salt much either," explained Gabriel. Dean splashed him with half the bottle, and he started hissing.

Gabriel drank some to prove that it was just regular water, and not some acid.

"Now the bigger question is... who do you work for?" said Gabriel, eyes narrowing.

Gabriel killed the demon with his enchanted knife, and they waited out for the virus to disappear. There was one small catch though.

The magical government had noticed the virus reappearing, and had dispatched the cleaners.

"Halt!"

"Demonic Bounty Hunter Winchester, Gabriel. We've already dealt with the demon who released the virus!" he shouted from behind the Impala.

"Let me see some ID!" shouted the leader of the group.

Gabriel tossed him the secondary badge, this one for magical governments only. It identified him as a special bounty hunter and what class he was.

Gabriel was one of the most dangerous kind. Demonic class ten. It meant he dealt with demons or worked for them, and that he had been given special powers as a result.

The healer looked at the badge, had it confirmed, and then said "Alright, those of you who haven't been infected come up one at a time to be cleared and released!"

Gabriel went first, and had to undergo a specially treated shower to decontaminate before he was even allowed to leave the quarantine zone. Dean was less than pleased that his car had to undergo it as well just to be safe.

Magical quarantine wasn't a joke. They took the protection of the normals very seriously.

* * *

They were halfway to Bobby's when Gabriel's mirror rang.

"Gabe here."

"_...Dean figure it out?"_ guessed Sam.

"More like he saw the Norse rune on my left shoulder and realized we had swapped. He still can't tell us apart," smirked Gabriel.

"_Anyway I have good news and bad news."_

"What's the good news?"

"_The hound gave birth to ten pups, nine of which seem to be fairly calm."_

"What about the tenth?" asked Gabriel.

"_Number ten seems to have...attached itself to me,"_ said Sam sheepishly.

"How old are they?"

"_About thirteen hours old, give or take. Where you in some sort of magical dead zone by the way? We couldn't get a hold of you or Dean."_

"Demonic trap set specifically to see if you were vulnerable to a pit virus. We exorcised the bastard, but we got stuck in a magical quarantine for a full hour before we could leave," said Gabriel, "Now about that pup..."

"_I thought it was still born and went to remove it, but the thing suddenly seemed to wake up without warning and now the mother refuses to take it back."_

"Huh. So the rest seem to be fairly tame compared to the last litter?"

"_Loki says that this batch might be trainable compared to the last."_

"John will be happy if that's true. Guess the lucky number was six after all," said Gabriel.

"_By the way... could you tell Loki to knock it off with the groping?"_

"And ruin his fun? Not a chance. Bye Sammy!" cackled Gabriel, hanging up.


	11. Chapter 11

Gabriel was annoyed. He had another vision, and once again had to deal with demon's taint lingering in his head again. Loki was less than pleased to, because his grace wasn't enough to block it without being there with Gabe.

And tonight he had a vision of some guy getting killed by someone he had only seen once.

Gordon, the vampire hunter who he royally pissed off by moving an entire coven before he could kill them.

The only reason he hadn't arrested him then and there was because he had reputation to maintain as a neutral. Unless Gordon came after him specifically, the best he could do was move the covens out of the area until Gordon lost their trail.

There was a reason he got along with Midnight and John so well. While he was a neutral he also genuinely didn't give a damn about which side you were on. If you did something to piss him off, he would stop you.

Gabriel rubbed his eyes. He was going to kill whoever kept sending him these damn visions.

"What's up Gabe?" asked Dean yawning.

"I'm plotting the murder of whoever keeps sending these visions," said Gabe rolling over.

"Let me know if you need help hiding a body," said Dean in return, going back to sleep.

Gabriel had, once Dean figured out that Sam wanted a break from traveling with him even if it meant dealing with Loki for a short time, given Dean the same cage trick he had used on his tent. And with charms sleeping in the car was infinitely safer than trying to sleep inside a hotel room and cheaper as well.

Gabriel was still yawning the next morning, and growled when Dean tried to talk to him before he had his second cup of coffee.

"Not a morning person, eh Sammy?"

Because of what the demon told them, Dean continued with the ruse that Gabriel was really Sam.

From what they knew, Azazel had no idea Gabriel was back, despite the fact that Crowley had been using him to hunt down contracts for a few years now. It had taken him ten minutes to find out why... apparently to insure that yellow-eyes never learned of Gabriel too early Crowley had told the demons that his new bounty hunter was in fact the Harry Potter.

Apparently they found the fact that Harry Potter, the Light's favorite Poster Boy acting as a collector for demons delicious irony.

And Azazel hadn't bothered to remember that Gabriel had been adopted by that name, assuming that the infant he dumped in England had died during the civil war, or was still in England.

So they planned to pull one over on the bastard by keeping up the switch with Sam and Gabriel. If Azazel was sending visions to Sam or the one he thought was Sam, then they might be able to catch him with a surprise attack from Gabriel.

If Gabriel could use those weird psychic powers and not be evil, then so could Sam. And that was all the reason Dean needed to overlook the fact Sam was learning with Loki while he was away from Dean.

So far Sam had gotten the whole telekinesis ability down to a point where he wasn't bleeding from his nose anymore. Something Loki had assured him repeatedly that it was normal for some nosebleeds to occur.

Gabriel had moved from basic telekinesis to something that even Dean would be impressed by. Pyrokinesis.

There was also another ability Gabriel had found that worried him.

The ability to control pit beasts directly with his mind. It was how he had gotten his pack to listen to him originally...he had made them listen. If Loki hadn't cleaned the demon's blood out of him, he might have worried about it. But Loki had trained his powers up to the point where he could do it without demon's blood reinforcing the channels.

It had taken countless blood restoratives and many days of migraines to get to this point, but the fact was that he could now control his pack and a few minor demons without using demon's blood. Starting from the ground up with someone who knew what they were doing helped more than any self-training he could have gotten.

* * *

"So where are we going exactly?"

"Not we. From the visions I know Gordon is hunting the psychics awakened by Azazel. How that asshole found out about this mess I have no idea...but he won't last long in prison when I'm done with him," said Gabriel.

"What are you going to do?"

"Gordon has a bounty on his head... a hundred thousand one, meaning he really screwed the pooch. All I have to do is let the cops find out about his little arsenal and point them in the right direction, and they'll lock him up in a place with no escape. Sometimes it pays to be known as a neutral party," said Gabriel.

A little polyjuice for the vampires and several testimonies from the covens and Gordon wouldn't see the outside of a prison cell for years, if he ever got out.

Vampires would be more than happy to put this particular hunter behind bars...and legally to boot. And Gabriel could legally have him arrested without Gordon finding a way out of his just reward for targeting the wrong brothers.

He had no idea that Sam's double was a bounty hunter, and one that had ties to the FBI who wanted him behind bars. If he had, he would have been a hell of a lot more careful about his bragging about some of the vampires he had killed in front of him.

* * *

Gordon captured Dean in an attempt to draw 'Sam' out. Ava, a fellow psychic, had seen Sam go into the house and get blown up. But that had to be faked, because Gabriel wasn't nearly that stupid.

He had a better plan than a sneak attack that Gordon would definitely be waiting for.

Dean waited in the chair, and he noticed the shadow in the window. Gordon heard a creak from the back, unaware that one of the more feral members of the Pack was being made to walk that particular hazard instead of 'Sam'. Dean could see it, but Gordon couldn't.

The moment that particular hound was killed, Gabriel broke through the door and shot Gordon twice with his beanbag rounds, and then with a stunner before he could get up.

He zip-tied his hands behind his back and then cuffed him in a way he wouldn't be able to get out of...and put a leg-locker curse on him just in case. He called it in to the local cops, made sure Dean gave a statement and commented on some of the other people that Gordon had kidnapped and tortured, then 'found' the arsenal in his car.

Gordon looked pissed when he woke up, and even more so when Gabriel gleefully showed him his badge which wasn't a fake.

And when he found out that the covens he so desperately hunted would be at the trial to make sure he stayed behind bars where he belonged...well, if he had the power to make Gabe spontaneously combust he would have done it right then and there.

* * *

"Ava?" called Gabriel.

He had a nasty feeling pass by him earlier, and he was worried that Ava had been Azazel's target.

And he was right to worry. Her fiance was dead, and sulfur was strong in her home.

"Shit... Azazel's damn tournament must have already started," said Gabriel, running a hand through his hair.

"Any idea where she is?"

"None. Not even Crow has any idea where this tournament is supposed to be, but we have been narrowing down where it isn't," said Gabriel.

So far they had nixed all the populated cities and those that lead out of the country. Wherever this is, it was remote, out of the way, and likely forgotten. There was definitely no cell service as well, which had narrowed down a lot of the areas.

It had to be survivable, but not so much that it was easy to leave.

Crowley was just as interested in finding this tournament and ending it prematurely, if only to piss off yellow-eyes and make a lot of demons out for his blood.

The Pit's pecking order was ever changing. If Azazel failed in his plan or showed too much weakness, then some of the lower demons would be after him in a heartbeat. And since Crowley hated him, he was all for knocking him down several pegs and taking it for himself.

Crowley wanted to be King of Hell, and he knew that allying himself with the Winchesters was a good start. He helped them, they offed his competition and he got to reap the rewards.

So yes, he was all for helping Gabriel find this tournament's location just so he could get ahead of the game. Even waving the usual 'soul marker' cost to do it.

* * *

"Sammy!"

"He given you any grief?"

"Aside from being kidnapped by the same hunter he was getting drunk with when we ran into that vampire coven and getting his ass kicked, no. How did the training with Lo' go?"

"Great... I finally stopped having nosebleeds when I move the sugar bags with the power," said Sam sarcastically.

"Oh god, I hated it when that happened. Did he at least clean you out of the blood yet?"

Sam blushed.

"Wait...he didn't tell you how he cleaned out my demon taint did he...?" said Gabriel.

Sam nodded. Gabriel face-palmed.

"Damn it Loki. Look, the other way is to ingest angel's blood instead of the way I went about it. Angel's blood does not like demon's blood."

"I know. He gave me a cup of something but never told me what it was. Tasted awful though," said Sam.

"Did he have an odd cut?"

"He had a band aid on his arm for about five minutes before he removed it."

"He made you drink it. I'm guessing he got you started on the powers soon after?"

Sam nodded.

"Which means he cleaned you out alright. I'm betting the power didn't come as easily after."

"Yeah."

"I had it easier. He cleaned me out before it woke up. Anyway I know he gave you a list of things you can do in hotel rooms?"

Sam nodded again. Loki had written up a detailed list of small exercises he could do that wouldn't freak out Dean. He hoped that he would eventually get to the point where he could get his new puppy Hunter to follow his commands without being told vocally or using his hands.

"Well if you need a blood restorative, give me a call and I'll have Loki deliver it on the spot. The last thing you need it to pass out from blood loss on a hunt," said Gabriel.

"Got it."

* * *

Gabriel was halfway to another state on his motorcycle while Loki was on the job dealing with yet another asshole who needed a lesson on not being a jerk to everyone when he felt an odd surge of psychic energy.

Stopping the vehicle, he cast his senses out.

There, in the distance was an abnormal amount of energy. And fro what he could tell there was a demonic hint to it.

He marked the area and headed on to the agreed meeting spot.

* * *

"So what's the movie for tonight?" asked Loki popping a squat on the couch with a bowl of Gabe's special popcorn.

"Well Dean recommended this to me after he found out you're actually an angel..."

Loki blinked at the cover before he swore rather impressively. He was so getting back at Dean for telling Gabe about that damn movie. Even if it was hilarious in his opinion, like the scene where 'Loki' claimed to be an atheist and screwed around with the clergy.

In Gabriel's hands was the movie _Dogma_, in which the guy all but told the demons where to find an angel in disguise.

"So... have you ever messed with the clergy?" asked Gabriel when he saw that scene.

"I tried it a few times back during the Crusades...then Dad got on my ass about it and I had to stop unless the bastard was a total hypocrite."

"Oh my god..." said Gabe when he saw the Metatron, nearly choking on his popcorn.

"What?"

"Who the hell cast this movie? That guy looks exactly like my old potions professor back in the hell hole!"

"You've never seen Alan Rickman before?" said Loki grinning.

"Never even heard of him."

"Oh we're going to have fun with this. Anyway about the movie..."

"Oh that is total bullshit... I know for a fact angels can drink alcohol!" said Gabriel howling.

Gabriel loved the movie...so much so that Loki was almost willing to forgive Dean for telling his boyfriend about it. Almost.

* * *

Gabriel was half-asleep after an all-night movie marathon when Sam called. It was four in the morning, and he would swear Dean was putting him up to waking him up at ungodly hours.

"Gabriel here... yeah, I'm free. Shapeshifter, huh? Oh god...who the hell came up with a name like man-droid?" asked Gabriel laughing. He needed a good laugh. But first he needed his sleep. He could have Loki drop him off later.

* * *

Gabriel went into the bank that the shapeshifter was due to hit next, already armed with an alibi for why he was there.

Sam was with him, mostly to provide a reason why he was cashing his 'check' from the FBI instead of simply depositing it like he normally did in his account. Dean would wait outside to alert them to any problems like the cops showing up.

Gabriel had a plan of attack. They would wait for the shapeshifter to enter, and he would set his spirit hounds* after the thing and be done with it.

No muss, no fuss, just some traumatized people with no one to pin it on without looking insane.

He sensed something other than human enter the bank, double checked by looking at the eyes, then called the pack.

Sam winced at the screams from the people around him, but since they were simple patrons no one could pin the sudden violent death on them.

* * *

_American Magical Creature Classification Log_

_Subject: Spirit Hounds_

_Breed: Magical Canine/Wolf_

_Danger Classification: XXXX (License Required)_

_Known Breeders: Gabriel Winchester_

_Origins: Spirit hounds are an unusual off-shoot of the demonic beast commonly called Hell Hounds. Information on how this breed developed from the Pit-specific origins of the hell hounds is unknown, but there is speculation that if a hell hound is kept from the pit and exposed to certain energy wavelengths during the breeding stage, then the resulting pups will lose their demonic status and become more neutrally inclined._

_Spirit Hounds have all the abilities of the hell hound breed with one notable difference. Spirit Hounds can be tamed by anyone with sufficient Sight and patience. _

_Gabriel Winchester is the only known breeder of these peculiar hounds. He is currently considered the first magical to have bred these hounds, though how this particular breed began is still unknown._


	12. Chapter 12

Gabriel was once again, sound asleep when Sam called. This was getting very annoying.

"Sammy, I swear in heaven that if this isn't a life-or-death emergency I am going to shoot you, twin or not."

Sam paused, before he decided that calling later would be a better idea. Gabriel grumbled before going right back to sleep.

Ten hours later and multiple pots of coffee, and Gabriel finally called Sam back.

"Now what in heaven's name was so damn important that you woke me up for it?"

Sam quickly explained about the case and the second he heard even a small detail he started cackling. Loki looked up from his lunch to hear the details.

"So... so let me get this straight... this _angel_ used a hooker to gank someone?" he said crackling up.

Hearing that confirmation, even Loki started snorting. No way in the Pit would an angel sink so low as to use a _hooker_ as a vessel, not unless she suddenly became a nun first.

"Okay Sammy, have you interviewed this witness yet?"

"_No. Dean's going to see her later."_

"Right. Here's how you know if you've really got an angel or if it's something else. Ask her if this angel just told her who to kill or if they asked permission first. If they just gave her directions then chances are it's a ghost."

"_And if they asked permission?"_

"Then it _might_ be an angel. Chances are it's not. Angels think themselves above humans, and there's no way in the Pit they would lower themselves to jumping into a hooker unless she became a nun first at least," said Gabriel.

"_Gotcha."_

"By the way... Why is it exactly that you keep calling me at four in the damn morning?" asked Gabriel innocently.

"_Dean convinces me to call you ASAP whenever we need info. We usually get it after midnight at least while trolling through papers. Why?"_

"No reason. By the way, tell Dean I am not getting him off the hook for Loki later."

"_What..."_

Gabriel hung up before Sam could ask what he meant by that.

"So does this mean I get to prank Dean-o later?" asked Loki grinning.

"Oh, you'll get to prank Dean and Sam. And best of all they won't know it's you until after Sam realizes there's a spell on you."

Loki cackled evilly. So Gabriel was going to help him prank them. This was going to be fun.

Sam would call a few days later to tell them that the 'angel' was actually a priest trying to help from beyond the grave by cleaning up the neighborhood of some of the worst offenders. He sounded disappointed.

* * *

"Ugh... what the hell hit me?" said Gabriel.

He had taken Sam's place for the week, not bothering to tell Dean because he still couldn't tell the difference between them.

Gabriel looked at the date on his cell phone and blinked.

How in god's name did he lose a week? And why did his head sound like a drum?

He could feel something trying to take control inside his mind, but something was keeping it at bay.

The first thing he did was call Loki.

"Hey Lo' when was the last time you heard from me?" he asked carefully, rubbing his head.

"_Gabe! Where the hell have you been? Dean's been blowing up the phone looking for you!"_ said Loki.

"I just woke up. Hang on... What the hell?!" said Gabe looking down to find suspicious stains on his shirt.

It almost looked like blood, but the color was way off.

Washing it in the sink, it still didn't turn the right color, even for dried blood.

Which meant someone was trying to make him believe he had killed another person, but had been unable to pull it off. The throbbing was getting worse.

Gabriel leaned against the sink.

He needed to deal with this pain now, before it drove him to do something he wouldn't regret later.

Gabriel sat on the bed and went inside his own head.

"_What in the name of Lucifer? How did you do that?!"_ shrieked the source of his current headache.

"Hmm. Female voice, either stupid enough to possess a Winchester directly or on the good side of yellow eyes... Forgive me if I'm wrong but are you... Meg?" asked Gabriel mockingly.

"_Very good Sammy. Give yourself a gold star! Isn't going to do you a damn bit of good once I get past whatever these mental shields are,"_ sneered Meg.

"Yeah, about that. I don't know how you got into my head or past my defenses long enough to possess me, but I happened to have a good way of dealing with idiots like you. So enjoy your time bitch, because once he gets here you're in for it,"said Gabriel grinning.

He left his head after reinforcing his shields and called Loki.

"Hey Lo', how long would it take for you to get here?"

"_Why?"_

"I do believe a _demon_ has slipped past the shields you put up. You know, the ones you swore would keep nuisances like that out?" said Gabriel.

"_A WHAT?! I'm heading over there right now!"_ said Loki angrily.

Loki appeared five minutes later looking rather pissed. Fortunately for what Gabriel had planned, that did not involve revealing what he actually was.

He wanted this bitch to pay for slipping past the shields. Say what you would about Gabriel Winchester, when you pissed him off he got really creative when it came to payback.

Dean and Sam made it in time to catch the end of Gabriel's revenge.

"Gabe! And...Loki?" said Dean confused.

"Demon bitch got in past Lo's shields. Naturally I felt some retaliation was in order for that offense."

"Who?" asked Sam.

"I believe you know this particular bitch. Meg."

"What?!"

The demon inside the fake body screamed as Loki hit it with more holy water. It had taken him five minutes to make it, two seconds to pull her out of Gabriel and put her in the fake body, and they had spent hours interrogating the bint without losing sight of the fact she was close to yellow eyes. Close enough to possibly know the location of the tournament's main area.

"There's...there's two of you?" she gasped, looking between Sam and Gabriel.

"Didn't I mention Meg? The one you took possession of but couldn't mark with your sigil wasn't Sammy. It was Gabriel. As in the one your father dumped in England because he didn't want Sammy to have the competition," said Gabriel, leaning close to Meg.

Her eyes widened in horrified shock.

"What...what are you?" she said.

"Me? I'm Crowley's pet collector. And you, little brat, are going to be destroyed utterly so you can't run to tell daddy about the fact the kid he tried to get rid of after dosing is back. And the best part is that the same one you tried to possess is dating an angel. Ah, now you see how badly you screwed up. Lo, I think she's about ready to see the light," said Gabriel grinning coldly.

Loki shivered and Dean shot him a look. He knew that particular shiver and he so did not want to be around Gabriel when Loki lost his cool. Gabe was so walking around with a limp for the next few days.

"So, who wants to do the honors?" asked Gabriel. In his hand was a silver blade he had found by accident at Midnight's and paid several rare high-end artifacts from one of John Winchester's multiple storage lockers to get.

Dean had only a few of their locations. When he looked up the records of all of John's usual aliases he found several hits.

He hit one that the two hadn't known about and used it as his personal treasure trove.

John Winchester might have been the man who supplied the needed materials for Mary to have him and Sam, but he wasn't his father. At best he was the sperm donor.

And the fact John had refused to even consider having an in with demons was all the reason Gabriel had needed to pretend he didn't exist. Sam and Dean were much more reasonable.

Meg's eyes, upon seeing that blade, tripled in size. With that reaction Dean just had to ask why.

"This...is an angel blade. Made during the Angel Wars up in heaven shortly before Lucifer was booted out along with several others. Now this particular blade is from a captain, specifically one that ruled over a small contingent of angels. Poor fool must have dropped it and someone found it on Earth. Midnight got it settling someone's bar tab and I had to trade several high-end items in order to get it. Can kill anything from a lower angel to the highest class demon."

"And of course if that doesn't work I can kill the bitch myself," said Loki far too cheerfully.

If Meg had been given bowels, she would have pissed herself in fear. Loki had shot a tiny bit of his aura when he said that to her, and she had felt what it was.

An arch angel. The last thing a demon _ever_ wanted to piss off!

Whimpering pathetically, it was only in the last moments of her life that she cursed the fact she had tried to possess Sam...and had gotten his magically-trained and rather sadistic twin by mistake.

Sam was a nice person. He gave people second chances.

Gabriel was a cynical, damaged bounty hunter who worked for demons because they were at least honest about their true nature and who enjoyed pissing them off for fun. Not to mention he was dating an arch angel who was extremely possessive of his boyfriend. He didn't give second chances unless someone he actually liked and respected gave him a very good reason to.

As such, she really should have done her research first.

Azazel would be pissed to find out that his daughter had not only been killed, but completely erased. And more than slightly confused to learn that an angel had done the killing.

* * *

Gabriel was snoozing in the rather nice room Loki had rented for the next few months. Loki had somehow convinced him to go on a pranking spree to get out some of his vengeful tendencies...after Gabriel recovered from Loki jumping him.

Apparently dominate Gabriel with a vengeful side turned Loki on. Who knew?

He had his phone turned off, his mirror on silent, and he had no bounties in the area or in the states adjacent to him.

He was having his week off dammit.

"Morning babe," said Loki, tossing him some quick breakfast. Well, technically it was lunch but for Gabe it was breakfast.

"What time is it?" yawned Gabriel.

"Two. How are you enjoying your night off?"

"Loving every minute."

No hunts, no sudden four AM wake up calls, just him and Loki out pranking some very deserving people.

Like that one douche who kept bringing the co-eds to his room with his fame. Or the arrogant jock who really pissed Gabriel off.

The only time Gabe would get involved was if a hunter showed up. Or if, better yet, his brothers showed up looking for a hunt.

With the death of that arrogant professor, Gabe kept an eye out for the Impala.

And he wasn't disappointed.

* * *

"So what have we got Sammy?"

"I have no idea. A professor took a nosedive out of a high window and there's no sign of foul play," said Sam.

"Have you heard from Gabriel?" asked Dean, not paying any attention to the clock.

Sam, however, looked at the time and winced. It was nearly four in the morning.

"Dean, the last time I called him the message explicitly stated that if it wasn't an end-of-the-world emergency or I was kidnapped, that the next time he saw the caller he would shoot them in the leg and ass," deadpanned Sam.

"Fine, I'll call him then," said Dean reaching for his phone.

Sam winced, but he made sure to plug his ears when he heard Gabriel start to cuss Dean out. Dean winced at the volume...and then blinked.

"What the hell?" he said.

"What is it?"

"That was a voice message. From the last thing the message said I think he had that recorded in case he got a call from anyone at... Shit, it's four in the morning?" said Dean.

"You just now noticed that?" said Sam incredulous.

"I thought it was just two!" said Dean.

"Dean, half the time you've had me call Gabe, it's either around three or four in the _morning_. The last time he threatened to toss me in his pool and exorcise me with holy oil and a lighter!" said Sam incredulous.

"Holy oil?" said Dean.

"Apparently it's one of the more painful ways to die, extremely flammable," said Sam.

"Where would he get holy oil?"

"He wouldn't say."

"That does it...we're pulling over until morning," said Dean.

"We're switching until we find a hotel. I don't know about you Dean, but I'm tired of sleeping in the Impala."

"Fine, but you're laying the wards down," said Dean.

One of the first lessons in magic (it turned out that Sam had it too, but they had moved around so much that the magical government had been unable to find him until he was too old for normal classes) Sam had was runes and wards.

Because he had learned about it so late, Sam's core wouldn't stretch normally as he learned. So Gabriel had him focus on things that a hunter would use frequently, slowly readjusting his core so that he could be like him.

Sam yawned but agreed.


	13. Chapter 13

Gabriel stretched as he went to see who Loki was screwing around with. Yesterday he had gotten rid of this asshole professor by making him fall.

Gabriel went out to get something to eat, mostly because he had no intention of cooking anything for the next two weeks. He was in the bar ordering something stronger than the usual crap Loki bought when he saw someone.

"Oh _hell_ no," he muttered. He grabbed his phone and texted Loki.

_Dean and Sam in bar. Should we stay?_

Loki replied almost instantly.

_Let's mess around with them. Don't they usually have a yearly prank war around this time?_

Gabe smirked. This was going to be fun.

* * *

"DEAN!" shouted Sam.

Shortly after they had gone into the sewers to find this so-called alligator that had killed the second professor, and had come up only to find someone had let the air out of the Impala's tires and had egged it pretty good.

Dean had also found two dead fish under each of the front seats. Needless to say he was pretty pissed.

Sam, when they had returned to their room, had found his computer so loaded with viruses from third-rate porn sites that he had to have a professional clean it out. And to make matters worse, his bed had some really questionable stains on it that he didn't want to know the name of...though the smell alone was pretty telling.

"It wasn't me!" said Dean. "Though you deserve it for leaving those damn fish in the car."

"For the last time I didn't put those fish in there! God, if I didn't know any better I would swear Gabriel was behind this," said Sam.

Suddenly the two paused. Gabriel had been out of contact for the past three days, though there had been an odd moment yesterday at the bar when someone had mistaken Sam.

"You don't think..." said Sam.

"Gabriel. You think he's here? Pranking us?" said Dean.

If Sam hadn't let the air out of the tires, then Gabriel might have as a prank. It would make sense, in a weird sort of way.

"It's possible, I mean we haven't gotten a hold of him in days now," said Sam.

"Didn't he say he was on vacation?" asked Dean.

"Let's try him again," said Sam.

"_This is the voicemail of Gabriel. If you're contacting me for a case, go fuck yourself. I'm on vacation. If this is a life-or-death thing, try calling Crowley. If this is my brothers, then you had better damn well hope that it's not four in the morning or I swear to Heaven I will shoot you both in the ass. If this is John, then I'll get back to you once I check my voicemail."_

Sam blinked. That was a rather detailed answering message.

"Gabe, this is Sam. Where exactly _are _you on vacation at?" asked Sam, before he hung up.

An hour later Gabe texted back.

_On vacation with Lo'. Why?_

Sam sent his reply.

_Where are you?_

_Why would you care? The only reason I would come help is if you or Dean were held hostage by demons or something._

_Because someone keeps pranking us and we wanted to make sure it wasn't you._

There was a bit of time before Gabriel replied to that. Though Sam could feel the smugness.

_Wouldn't you love to know?_

He refused to answer any messages after that.

"Well?"

"He wouldn't say," said Sam.

* * *

Gabriel was howling when they realized he was in fact in town...and that he and Loki were competing for the best prank against them.

"Dammit Gabriel!" said Dean when he saw that laughing loon.

"You mean to tell me I got caught up in your yearly prank war?" said Bobby snappishly.

"Well I certainly wasn't planning to drag you two muttonheads into my tricks, but since you were so _eager_ to play," said Loki, hands behind his head.

Gabriel snickered.

"Which one of you put those fish in my baby?" demanded Dean.

"That would be me," said Loki.

"That's all I needed to know," said Dean...right before he shot Loki in the ass with his gun.

"OW! Motherf..."

Gabriel couldn't help his reaction. He started howling.

For an angel, getting shot by a normal gun was akin to a bug bite. He could get rid of the bullet and the damage without a problem. Still hurt like a bitch though.

"We better go before someone comes to investigate that gunshot," said Gabriel.

"You three morons owe me for this. And I mean big time," said Bobby grumbling.

"So who was it that let the air out of the tires? And my computer?" complained Sam.

"Loki did the tires...and I was the one who hacked your laptop," said Gabriel.

Sam punched his twin in the jaw for that.

"Loki let the air out of my tires?" said Dean twitching.

"OW! SON OF A BITCH! QUIT SHOOTING ME ALREADY!" yelled Loki. Hopping around holding his ass. The pain might be temporary for an angel, but it still hurt like hell!

"Yeah Dean, save your bullets for something that will actually _die_ when you shoot it."

* * *

If Dean and Sam thought that the pranks were over once they ditched the college, they were dead wrong. A few days later on the road to another hunt, Dean popped in one of his favorite AC/DC tapes...and spent the next ten minutes trying to get it out of the tape player. Gabriel had told them he hadn't messed with the car...he never said _anything_ about messing with Dean's outdated tapes.

Once Sam got over the shock of hearing the audio from one of the times Loki recorded his 'fun time' with Gabriel, he started howling with laughter at the look on Dean's face when he realized exactly what had replaced the music on the tapes.

On the third tape there was a message.

"_Dude, get rid of the cassette tapes. There is such a thing as an Ipod jack for your car, and it's not that expensive. For the love of god, get rid of these tapes...because I am not switching them back."_

Dean was twitching. Gabriel was so in for it next time he saw him.

* * *

"A werewolf attack?" said Gabriel.

"_Yeah. And there was a survivor,"_ said Sam.

"That...is phenomenally _bad_. One scratch or bite and they'll turn. Fortunately I do have a silver cage we can use to keep the survivor contained until we're sure they haven't been infected," said Gabriel.

"_Fair warning, Dean intends to punch you for the tapes,"_ said Sam, and Gabriel just knew his twin was grinning. He snickered.

"How did he like the recordings?"

"_He spent the next ten minutes trying to either turn off the sounds or get it out of the player. I have pictures of the look on his face when he realized who was on the tape and what you were doing!" _ laughed Sam.

"I haven't even told Loki about that prank! He thinks he's the prank king," cackled Gabriel.

"_So when are you coming over?"_

"Just as soon as I drop off one of the spirit hound pups for John. Seems it takes six generations for the hell hounds to calm down enough for someone like John to train them as guard dogs," said Gabriel.

John was eager to have his new dog...because once a spirit hound bonds with their master they would literally follow them everywhere, even into hell. And with the amount of time John spent in hell trying to find information, a little back up would go a long way.

* * *

"Gabe! So what have you got for me?" asked John. He always enjoyed Gabe's presence. They had a similar sense of humor and were equally cynical.

Plus Gabe always brought jobs that brought him some much needed cash to pay for supplies.

Gabe grinned, before he reached behind him where there was an invisible cage. Invisible to anyone without the Sight anyway.

"A puppy?"

"Sixth gen, and it's trainable. Sam's already got his trained," said Gabe.

John took the cage and once the door was closed he let the puppy out.

It was a gangly thing, more paw than body. It would be big once it was fully grown. It had silver streaks in it's black fur, rather than red...a characteristic unique to spirit hounds. The last five litters were more red than silver.

"Big," he said.

"Well yeah, with how often you piss off the demons I thought you would prefer to have one of the bigger pups. These things grow easily four feet tall so long as they're fed regularly and you give them enough attention."

"How do you know when they're fully bonded to you?"

"When they start growling at demons rather than at angels," deadpanned Gabriel.

John blinked, expected him to be joking. He wasn't.

"Hunter, Spica, Hera, and Hades all growl at demons when I'm visiting Crow outside his place, but they've never once raised their heads around Loki. The rest are just breeding and guard dogs," said Gabriel.

"Huh. Any special requirements?"

"Well since you have the Sight you'll be able to see this pup once he's fully bonded, whether he's invisible at the time or not. And you'll get a general outline of other hounds. I've notice that the stronger the Sight, the more intelligent the hound...and with how strong yours is I wouldn't be surprised if he was borderline human with how smart he is," said Gabriel.

John scratched the pup's ear, and it thumped it's tail.

"So what are you going to name it?"

John blinked. He hadn't thought about what to name his new dog, since he had no idea which gender it would be when Gabriel brought it over. He looked at the paws on his new dog, then at Gabriel.

"Know any good words for claw?"

"Tsume. Japanese for claw," said Gabriel.

"What do you think? How does Tsume sound?"

The puppy, which had an odd silver X-shaped pattern on it's chest, barked. It liked the name.

"Tsume it is," said John.

"Anyway, I have to head out. Sam called in a possible werewolf victim and if they got bit I'll have to help them contact the nearest pack. Tsume gives you any grief, give me a call and I'll come over to see what I can do."

"Thanks. At least now I'll have some help. Chas isn't very good with exorcisms," said John with a grimace.

Gabriel like Chas, John's sorta apprentice. The kid was still a greenhorn, but he had a lot of heart and he at least had the sense to actually _read_ the right material.

Chas wanted one a spirit hound too, but Gabriel told him he would only get one once he knew for a fact the kid could see them. If he couldn't get into Midnite's bar, then how was he supposed to handle one of Gabriel's hounds?

Gabriel left John after insuring the man at least had the right kind of leash (not one of those cheap plastic ones that extend, but one made of sturdy rope) and a good collar along with his private number so John could get a hold of him any time.

It was a mirror phone, something that wouldn't require batteries...and Gabriel would actually answer at any time.

* * *

"So let me get this straight. I take a small detour to drop off John's new dog, and Sammy gets _laid_ by the werewolf girl?" said Gabriel incredulous.

Dean was still miffed about the tapes, but the fact his brother had gotten laid by the chick he was supposed to be guarding was funny enough to temper his annoyance.

Thankfully Sam's half-grown spirit hound Kiba (named for his rather large fangs) had kept her from taking a bite out of his brother.

Kiba was one of the rare spirit hounds who had the black fur of the hell hound breed entirely out. His fur was entirely silver and his gold eyes were sharper than Dean's when it came to seeing a scratch on his baby in the middle of the night. He was massive too, often taking up half the backseat of the Impala.

The only reason Dean put up with their new dog (or as Bobby snarkily called it once he found out where Sam had gotten the dog, the new Winchester family 'mascot') was because it was smart and helped out in hunts. The last time a ghost tried to brain Dean, Kiba had tackled it and kept it pinned while they salted and burned the bones.

"Where is she now?"

"She's currently waiting for you to show up," said Sam.

Because he knew for a fact Gabriel was in contact with a few werewolf packs, he thought it was was a better idea to call Gabriel for help rather than try to kill her.

"Sam?"

"Not exactly. My name is Gabriel, I'm Sam's twin brother. I hear you were bitten recently," said Gabriel.

She nodded miserably.

"Well we do have a few options for the newly turned. While you won't be able to go back to being a regular human, you can take precautions and try to live a normal life. However if you start to hunt humans regularly hunters can and will hunt you down."

"I thought you were a hunter," she said confused.

"Neutral party. I work as a bounty hunter for the supernatural, and hunting is more of a hobby. Part of that includes acting as the spokesperson for the other half of the world you once lived in...and acting as a relocation expert. Now there is a pack of local werewolves two towns over."

"Pack?"

"Wolves are social creatures, and generally they tend to join what are called packs to make living easier all around. Hunters are usually called in to deal with the feral, or 'lone' werewolves who disregard the general truce between the werewolves and the hunters. You were likely bitten by a feral from what I've heard."

Dean and Sam had already killed the one who turned her, but it was up to her if she wanted to try and live out her life as a newly turned werewolf. Either way Gabriel wasn't about to kill her off hand because of what she now was.

It would violate his status as a known neutral party. Not to mention piss off the packs if they found out.

Gabriel drove her to the nearby pack, and told them the situation.

Aside from joining the group once a month so she didn't end up killing another human like when she got out, she was allowed to live her life normally.

Every full moon she would join the pack for a midnight run inside a fenced in forest that was lined with enough silver and too high for them to jump. It was registered as a natural preserve for rare wolves according to the muggles, but in reality it was a playground for werewolves to run free created by the American Ministry.

A small compromise to keep them off the hunter's radar and the werewolves from hurting anyone else. Anyone stupid enough to break in during full moons and past the guards (all wizards who knew what the place was and didn't have a bias against werewolves) was on their own. If they made it to the fence before they got bit, then they were caught and given a heavy fine for breaking in. If not, well the packs might have another member.


	14. Chapter 14

Gabriel was groaning. It had been another swap week with Sam (Dean _still_ couldn't tell the difference between the two) and he had gone in to get some munchies for them...when he had been ambushed by a demon.

The damn thing had knocked him out cold and dumped him in some no-name town.

Gabriel suddenly realized what was going on when he saw Andy.

"Shit. We've just landed smack in the middle of the blood tournament."

"Blood tournament?" asked Andy.

"Yellow eyes, the one who got your brother to commit murder... he has a tournament where we have to kill each other until only one remains. And we're right in the middle of it."

He heard a soft whine from nearby, and carefully looked around.

There, in the corner of his eye, was one of his spirit hounds or perhaps a distant cousin of one...though he was seriously considering re-naming the breed spirit 'wolves' because of the fact that they were all taking a distinct wolf-like appearance.

Besides, he had come across a series he was now almost totally addicted to (to Loki's amusement) about wolves that could shift between human disguise and wolf form.

Loki had taken one look at the main antagonists and realized that they were basing it off his oldest 'son' Fenrir. Who was still missing since Odin got pissed about one of Loki's pranks.

Loki knew he was still alive, because he would have felt his death after the spell he had cast on all his children.

If only so he knew who to bring fiery wrath on should they be murdered.

This hound was entirely white, almost snow in color. He would have thought it was Kiba except the eyes were the wrong color. This wolf had red eyes within red eyes...and he didn't see a distinct sign of a male in the undercarriage, which meant it was a female.

Gabriel walked around and found other unlucky psychics...and ignored the banging of Ava inside the shed.

She had been missing for six months, taken early on by the demons. If she was alive here and now, that meant she could get her own ass out of there.

And he said as much to the twit.

"Isn't that a bit cold? I mean she is one of us right?"

"I can see salt lines from here on the windows, and I'm betting there's iron inside. She'll be fine without us to get her out," deadpanned Gabriel.

It took Gabriel little convincing to get behind salt lines after the soldier got attacked by an Acheri demon. At this point he was glad Sam hadn't been grabbed...his powers were still under-developed compared to Gabriel's and he didn't have his wand on hand or know how to use blood spells.

Plus Sam didn't know how to make an instant trap specifically for psychics...something Crowley had given him in advance just in case he found the site. It shut down all psychic and magical abilities, leaving them vulnerable for demons or anything else he might bring...like his pack for example.

Gabriel immediately started scratching the necessary runes in places most people would overlook. On poles, in the ground on the grass, on the walls inside the buildings. Places no one would think twice about as they passed them unless they were really bored or actively looking for it.

By the time someone finally let Ava out, she had no idea that Gabriel was just waiting to unleash his trap. If she really had developed to the point she could control demons, he wanted to be ready.

Good thing he always had a weapon on him. If a demon couldn't tell he wasn't Sam, then there was no way they would detect his favorite shot gun loaded with various types of shells.

(Holy water, silver, iron, holy oil, salt, bean bag and regular rounds. Gabriel was a firm believer of being prepared.)

* * *

Andy had to keep a watch out since Jake and Gabriel were both too exhausted to stay awake another minute.

Gabriel knew that the demons had hit them with a sleep spell... he had gotten plenty of sleep and had gone without it for three days before.

That had been around the time the wizards had hit America with a spell just to draw him out...and ironically brought him and Loki together in a way he hadn't considered until that moment.

Gabriel fought off the spell as long as he could, but without Loki around to boost his energy levels (another reason he ended up with the Trickster) it was a losing battle. At least, not unless he wanted to blow his cover as Gabriel and not Sam.

Finally he passed out from the spell, but his mind was fully awake.

A side effect of having magic and knowing how to fight off such things.

He saw the night of the attack on the nursery. How yellow-eyes had placed blood in the mouths of both twins, then consider whether to keep them together.

Gabriel was livid as he watched Azazel hand him over to his daughter Meg (who he was very glad he got to watch die painfully via a sword to her stomach by his hand) who dumped him in England without a second thought. His rage was strong enough that he didn't care about how his mother was killed. He had seen enough.

Azazel turned with a smirk to face 'Sam', only to find pure cold rage in his eyes.

"So you sent Gabriel over to England on a whim? Destroyed both our lives just because you felt 'I' didn't need the competition simply because of who I am?" he snarled.

Yellow eyes narrowed in confusion. Last he checked the Winchesters were in contact with Crowley's pet hunter Potter. How did Sam know about Gabriel?

More to the point, how did Sam know something was different about himself compared to the other psychics he dosed?

"Oh? And what do you mean by that Sammy boy?"

"Don't give me that bullshit Azazel. Yes I know your name asshole. I know that the Winchester brothers are all vessels. The only normal one of the lot was John and I say good riddance," said Gabriel with a snarl.

Azazel looked at him with shock...then suspicion. It took a few moments for realization to set in.

"Where's Sam?"

"With an arch angel, behind enough wards that you won't get your fucking claws into him. Even Crowley wouldn't be able to get to him."

"Gabriel. How did you survive?"

Gabriel's smirk wasn't pleasant, nor was it friendly.

"Didn't you know dumbass? Your daughter dumped me in a wizard's family and I survived long enough to see England's precious pure bloods ripped apart by hell hounds."

"Potter," said Azazel, more out of a desire for confirmation than anything.

"And to you I say...fuck off," said Gabriel as he forced the demon out through sheer strength of will. He could hear the bastard's cry of pain from that move, and Gabriel's eyes shot open.

* * *

Sam was worried. He had just gotten a panicked called from Dean (who realized belatedly that Gabriel had swapped, again) that their brother was missing.

Loki, when he heard how Gabriel had gone missing, swore rather impressively (Sam took notes for use on Dean later) before he started casting out his magic to find him.

Nothing. So he called Crowley.

"_WHAT IN HEAVEN DO YOU WANT?"_ shouted the rather irate crossroad demon.

"Azazel just snagged Gabriel, probably mistaking him for Sammy. You got a way to permanently bind a psychic boosted by demon's blood?"

"_No. Not unless you're willin' to bleed you damn tosser. With a demon as strong as yellow-eyes, the only counter that would be available in time to do any good is angel's blood. Call me if he pops up anytime soon,"_ said Crowley, rather bitchy.

Loki grimaced. He hated doing that, because while the wound healed quickly it took _weeks_ for his remaining Grace to equalize the balance.

He infinitely preferred the longer term way he had taken with Gabe, because it didn't feel like someone was taking a chunk of his energy in the process. He had only done it for Sam as a favor to Gabe.

"What do we do?"

"Gabe knows the blood spell to temporarily seal psychics. Knowing him he'll put it in place long enough to keep them in one area before he walks out of whatever's blocking me from finding him so we can sort this out without killing the others."

The big problem was that there was a chance Gabriel would get stuck in the circle as well. The spell Crowley had given him wasn't discriminate about who it trapped, so long as they had a higher than normal Psi in their bodies.

* * *

Gabriel was pissed. Ava had just tried to kill Andy, an idiot, but still rather likeable guy and he had barely been able to stop her. To make matters worse, Jake had clearly been told that the only way out was to kill everyone else.

Damn yellow eyes.

Gabriel slipped out of the buildings. He had enough, and because he had killed the Acheri demon Ava had no others to summon without alerting them to what she could really do.

No one noticed him leave...but they certainly noticed when he cut his hand and slammed it on the freshly carved activation rune. It had enough iron and salt in it that the demons couldn't near it, and it was in the middle of a devil's trap to boot.

It took him fifteen minutes to find a road, and he realized this was the area he had sense the psychic energy months ago.

Time to call Crowley.

Crowley answered the phone, still a little bitchy about being woken up so abruptly.

"If this is another call about..."

"_Crow, found the tournament area. I need someone to come clean out the other morons before we kill each other...oh, and feel free to kill Ava. Dumb bitch tried to set an Acheri on me,"_ said Gabriel.

"Winchester. Where the hell are you?"

Gabriel told him...then the line abruptly went dead.

Gabriel was flung into the circle by a cloud of black smoke. Azazel was pissed off...especially since Gabriel had made sure to knock each of the other psychics into the iron jail cells that made it impossible for them to get out without their powers. Jake looked ready to kill him barehanded.

Gabriel tried to get out of his own circle. No such luck. And if he broke it, then he would give Jack the opportunity to kill the others.

Not a chance.

"Now Gabriel, let's be reasonable. You aren't leaving here without dealing with the rest of these losers, and you know that eventually it will be down to you and Sammy boy," said Azazel sneering.

"Yeah no. You sound just as smug as that bitchy daughter of yours. What was her name again? Megara? She screamed _real_ good when I stabbed her with my blade," said Gabriel in kind. Azazel's expression became very pissed. He had been unaware up to that point who had killed his daughter.

"And that son of yours! What a piece of work! Took me two seconds to catch his ass because he got cocky. He was a screamer too, though he didn't last nearly as long as that girl of yours."

Oh, there was the twitchy eyebrow. He was really pissing off Azazel now.

"So now what? We going to glare at each other all day or do I get the pleasure of holding your sorry ass down while Dean shoots you in the face with the Colt? Or maybe Sammy and I can play how many times we can bleed you with an angel's blade until you finally croak?" smirked Gabriel.

As Gabriel listed all the ways he could torture and kill Azazel (while wondering where the hell Loki was) he noticed that he was gaining a small glimmer of respect from the demon. It was hidden under fury and outright hate, but it was still there.

"Alistair would love having you as his apprentice. I don't think I've heard so many fun and creative ways to break someone outside of the Pit," said Azazel grudgingly.

"Ironic that I happen to be dating an angel," said Gabriel dryly.

"An angel who's rather pissed someone kidnapped his boyfriend," said Loki, looking angry.

"Lo! What the hell took you so long?"

"Had to round up Dumbass Dean and Bitchy Bobby," replied the Trickster.

"I heard that!"

"I know, you're right behind me," said Loki.

Sam was still in the tent, and under orders to use that time to train Kiba. At the moment they were still a bit iffy on the mental control that Gabriel had mastered _months_ ago.

Azazel would have fled, except Loki had cast a floating devil's trap directly over him. It was made of angel's magic, so the bastard couldn't break it like he could most.

Loki shot just a smidgen of his real Grace at the demon. His superior smirk turned to outright fear and shock as he realized just what was there with him.

No normal demon could hope to match an arch angel, even one as tarnished as Gabriel was.

Everything was fine...except for one problem.

Azazel had gotten some extra help since Gabriel had killed off his children.

Without warning one of his runes was destroyed.

There was a loud crash from the jail as Jake immediately broke out.

Bobby had his gun out...it was loaded with normal bullets.

There was a a scream from the jail... Andy. A second sound came out of the jail...that of a neck being snapped.

Out of the jail came Jake.

Azazel sneered at them all.

"Looks like my side has a new player."

Jake was faster, younger and better trained. Bobby couldn't hold onto his gun, despite his best efforts. Dean had the launcher Loki had tossed him earlier aimed directly at Azazel. It was enchanted to kill any demon.

Gabriel leveled a look at Jake. He wasn't stupid enough to shoot him with an angel nearby...was he?

Jake took aim...and fired. He hit Gabriel in the heart, since he never wore any vests designed to catch bullets. He was dead before he hit the ground.

Loki was so surprised he almost dropped the circle around the demon. Instead he slammed one of Gabriel's little cages around him. He wasn't going anywhere.

Jake took off with the gun, and directions on where he had hidden the Colt.

If he wanted to get his life back, he had to open that gate.

Loki brought Sam out so he could witness the death of the demon who ruined his life. Dean shot Azazel with the modified crossbow which launched the arch angel blade into Azazel's heart.

The blade didn't need divine energy, it killed demons even in the hand of a human.

The yellow-eyed demon, the one who haunted their nightmares and killed their mother, was dead.

Sam went to Loki.

"Can't you bring him back?"

"He's in heaven. Angels don't have the power to resurrect people just like that...there's forms and crap we have to fill out _months_ in advance, and even then we have to have the approval of most of the remaining arch angels. Even though I want him back, I don't have the power or the authority to bring the dead back to life just like that."

"Well who would?!" demanded Dean.

"Crowley. Crossroad demons have bring people back to life all the time. Doesn't Gabriel still have favors left?" said Loki.

Dean tossed Loki a phone.

"Call him, now!"

Crowley picked up the phone.

"What? Wait, slow down. What in the Pit do you mean he was shot and killed?"

Crowley's eyes immediately went to the odd calender he used to mark Gabriel's favors. The entire thing was black.

"Am I on speaker?" asked Crowley, an idea forming in his head.

There was a beep on the other end, and Crowley told them flat out "I can't bring him back with his favors. Once he died, they became null and void because he went to heaven instead of hell. Even though he's an arrogant tosser, Gabriel's soul was still untouched...coupled with his angel boyfriend and he had a clean enough slate to avoid the pit."

He could hear them curse on the other end.

"But...there is one way I could drag him back down. It would take up the remainder of his markers and cost one extra, but he would be alive and free to annoy me again," said Crowley.

The only way he could bring Gabriel back was if one of the Winchesters sold their soul. And with how valuable the brothers were, that alone would be enough to bring the youngest back.

"_What do we have to pay?"_ asked Dean seriously.

"One of you two morons has to make a deal. One of your souls is valuable enough that I could bring him back, and with the slate wiped clean of markers, Gabriel will have to learn things the hard way," said Crowley. Gabriel had little over fifty markers left, and Crowley was more interested in getting Gabriel out of his hair.

There was a bit of an argument between the brothers, before they settled on Dean.

"Right, I'll be there in five. Don't lay any devil's traps or stick me in that damn cage of Gabriel's, or I won't make a deal," said Crowley irritably.


	15. Chapter 15

Crowley got there in record time. He saw Sam holding Gabriel, which didn't really surprise them as they were identical twins.

"Right, here's the deal. I'll use my magic to bring this jackass back and in exchange his markers are wiped clean and Dean the dumbass goes to hell for a bit," said Crowley.

Loki snorted at the description of Dean but didn't comment.

"What do you mean for a 'bit'?" asked Bobby.

Crowley looked at Loki.

"You want to tell them about that asshole Lucifer or should I?" he deadpanned.

Loki snorted.

"Lucifer is an arch angel. One who was sealed in hell inside a cage. Thing is that the locks can be broken. There's over six hundred seals and certain ones have to be broken in order for him to be able to leave Hell. One of them is for a righteous man to spill blood in hell."

"So?"

"So Dean here happens to _fit_ that particular slot. If he goes to hell, they'll throw him to Alistair, Hell's chief torture specialist until he breaks and the first seal is broken," said Crowley.

Normally he wouldn't give two shits about someone like Dean making a deal...that sort of soul would give him a real boost in terms of power. However the last thing he wanted was for Lucifer to get loose and ruin all his fun. He would rather _rule_ hell instead of following the orders of some jumped up feather duster who viewed his creations worse than he did humans.

So if he had to give the Winchester morons information he would normally keep his mouth shut about just to make sure his work wasn't ruined, he would give them information.

Upon later reflection he would fully blame Gabriel's influence. That tosser could corrupt an arch demon into doing something _nice_ for a human without asking for a reward.

"What are the others?" asked Bobby.

"Rising of the Witnesses is a mile-marker I think," said Loki. Crowley nodded.

"And last but not least is the death of the First born at the hand of the Righteous man, or at least someone of similar bloodline," said Crowley.

"First born?"

"Demon by the name of Lilith," explained Loki.

"So are we going to do this or not?" asked Sam.

"Normally I would seal this with a kiss, but frankly you're too damn fugly and I want out of here," said Crowley.

Dean looked mortally offended by the idea he was 'fugly' by a demon's standards. If it wasn't for the entire reason Crowley was there, he would be laughing at the look on Dean's face.

Either way Sam had discreetly taken a picture of that look so Gabriel could get a good laugh later.

Instead of kissing Dean, Crowley settled for a hand shake.

The moment their hands met and shook, there was a loud thunder clap above. Sam gasped in shock as_ something_ went through him and into Gabriel.

The wound on Gabriel's chest healed up and the bullet vanished and he took a deep gasp of air.

"What..."

"Dumbass just made a deal to bring you back."

Seeing the disbelieving look on Gabe's face, it was clear he was very surprised that Dean considered him worth selling his soul to bring him back.

"So how long do I have?"

"Because of how high profile that soul of yours is, I can't give you the standard ten. Best I can do is a year," said Crowley.

"So what now?" asked Bobby.

"Now we deal with Jake. After what that asshole just did, he's dead man. Only question is what will gank him first," said Gabriel flatly.

Crowley vanished, since he had only been needed to bring Gabriel back. He disliked angels at the best of times, and being that close to one made him understandably nervous.

* * *

They were about to head towards the two cars Loki had brought Dean and Bobby in (Sam had still been in the tent) when Loki suddenly stopped.

"There's a spirit wolf nearby. Has a weird signature too," he said.

"I noticed her earlier. Hang on," said Gabriel.

He went to where he had last seen the wolf and whistled gently. There was a rustling in the bushes, and something white came out. Gabriel leaned down and held out his hand.

The wolf, definitely a female, sniffed it before wagging her tail. Gabriel grinned as he petted the wolf.

"You sure she's a spirit?"

"Well that eye color alone is from a hell hound. No idea if she's a half-breed of a normal wolf or if she's a full one. I'm betting half-blood because she's not even reacting to Lo," said Gabriel.

"Not half wolf. Quarter angel is more like it," said Loki when he examined her.

"HUH?!" came the collective reply to that.

Loki looked around and finally located his spell work.

"Come out you brat. I know you're around here somewhere...I can sense the spell work!" shouted Loki.

There was a loud thump from the trees, and a man approached with wolf ears and a long black tail.

"Hello dad," said the newcomer.

"I was wondering where you vanished off too. Seen Jor lately?"

"Still sleeping, the lazy bum," he snorted.

Gabriel put two and two together.

"Fenrirsûlfr, right?"

"Just Fen. Been tracking down these psychics to hide my scent, and then who else would show up but my old man?" said Fen giving Loki an unhappy look.

"Look, we have to find that idiot Jake so we can stop him. You want to travel with us or should we just part ways?" asked Gabriel.

"I'll come with you. At least until I can find a new way to hide my scent from the angels. They don't exactly _like_ me if you get my drift."

"This girl have a name?"

"Chesa."

"HA! I knew that series was based off of something you did!" said Loki triumphantly.

Fen looked a bit uncomfortable that his father was aware of that show.

* * *

"Slight problem...we don't have enough room for all of us," said Dean.

Between Kiba in the backseat and the two seater Bobby had brought with him, there was going to be an odd man out. Fen was quite a bit taller than Sam was, and he barely fit in the Impala as it was.

Gabriel had other ideas.

"We're heading to Bobby's anyway right?"

They all nodded.

"See you there then," said Gabriel before he disappeared with a loud crack. Everyone except Loki jumped.

"What the hell was that?!" said Dean.

"Apparition. Basically the magical version of teleporting. You visualize where you want to go, then will yourself to the location. Problem is that wizards tend to overload the damn thing, so they always come and go with a crack sound of displaced magic. Gabriel got his license to do it about six months after he first came to America after escaping Europe."

"So why doesn't he travel like that all the time?" asked Dean.

"You have to be able to picture your landing site very, very clearly, and he really hates the feeling of it. Besides, he prefers driving his baby because it's more fun," shrugged Loki.

"Not to mention that if you screw it up, you might splinch yourself," added Fen dryly.

"Splinch?"

"Sometimes they don't do it properly or they use too little magic and they end up 'leaving' bits and pieces of themselves behind. There's an entire squad of healers in every country dedicated to fixing up the idiots who can't do it right," said Loki amused.

"So who goes with who?"

"Sam goes with Dean, Chesa and Fen can go with Bobby," said Loki.

"You sure there's enough room in the back for her?" asked Fen.

Loki snapped his fingers and expanded the back half of the trunk. Chesa jumped in and was able to comfortably lay down without touching the edges.

* * *

"So...how exactly does the son of an angel end up making a half-hellhound, half angel crossbreed?" asked Gabriel a few hours later.

Fen squirmed.

"Well?" asked Loki, grinning.

"I don't want to talk about it...though Chesa was the only one who survived that mess," said Fen embarrassed.

"Ah. Sounds like what happened with me then," said Loki.

Fenrir had been an accident too. He hadn't planned on making any half-breeds, but once the damage was done he had quit caring.

"Looks like _Kiba_ is interested in Chesa," said Gabriel grinning.

Fen looked at him dryly.

"Seriously?"

"It gets better... I gave one of my hounds to a friend and he named it Tsume. We just need Toboe, Hige and Blue now," chuckled Gabriel.

"So what sort of hounds are these?"

"Hell hounds raised outside the Pit and exposed to Grace regularly. Took us six generations before they could become trainable and human-friendly," said Gabriel.

"You two have fun talking shop over your little pack. We'll find out where Jake is going and if he's there yet," said Loki.

Gabriel and Fen settled outside where Kiba and Chesa were sniffing each other. The rest of Gabriel's pack were staying in their assigned areas mostly because he wasn't dealing with having to keep them under control at the moment.

"So... just how involved are you with my father?"

"You caught his scent on me did ya?"

"Pretty much...plus there's the looks he keeps shooting you. Last time he had that expression on his face was with my mother before the angels killed her."

"Meh. Loki's a better partner than any that the wizards would try to force me with...plus he's always eager to try my creations," said Gabriel.

"You really do love him don't you?" said Fen.

"I wouldn't even know what love feels like. All my life I've been treated like crap, forced into horrible situations that I never should have been in if the adults had been doing what they were supposed to, and the one time I thought I could finally be happy, and they dropped me like yesterday's news because they learned my bloodline wasn't as 'pure' as they wanted. I'm still in shock Dean was willing to sell his soul just to bring me back at all."

Fen looked at him oddly. Why would Gabe be so surprised his own brother would want him alive?

"Surprised? I used to be known as Harry Potter," said Gabriel by way of explanation.

"Potter... Not the same kid who actually treated his werewolf uncle with actual common decency and never gave too craps about whether someone was infected or not?"

"You've heard of me?"

"You're the only hunter on either side of the pond who actually treats werewolves like they are still human. Do you have any idea how popular you are with the supernatural clans? Especially since you took out Gordon in a way he can't get his hunter buddies to get him out again?"

Gabriel blinked. He hadn't thought his treatment of the clans had been that effective.

"I suppose my simple rule of thumb when it comes to people or supernaturals does a lot more than anyone would expect..." he muttered.

"What rule of thumb?"

"So long as they aren't trying to kill, screw me over or otherwise make my life harder than it needs to be, I don't give a damn. I don't care if you're a werewolf, vampire or demon...if you treat me with common decency, I'll ignore whatever it is about you that others seem to pick up on and treat you the same."

"In other words, live and let live?"

"Pretty much. Being neutral is easy when you just don't care," said Gabriel.

Gabriel had a simple rule. So long as you had a brain, could talk plain English and didn't try to kill him, he was fairly easy to get along with. If you were an idiot or tried to kill him, he would respond with a cynical wit and reply in kind.

It had served him well over the years...especially when it came time to sweet talk the centaurs into letting him leave.

"So...what's your animagus form?"

"I got a double. Cerberus with hellfire and a crow," said Gabriel.

"Chances are that after being resurrected and having your soul put back, they might merge into one form."

"That might be fun," said Gabriel.

* * *

"So...what was with Gabe's expression when he heard about what I did?" asked Dean. The look of utter shock and disbelief that Dean would sell his soul to bring him back bothered him.

"Gabe...he was hurt bad when they dumped him without a second thought. He might act like a tough guy, but he still hurts from that pain. The fact you thought him worth more than your own soul is something he's having trouble coping with," said Loki.

"Why?"

"Some scars never heal. And for Gabe, his biggest fear will always be that those he's close to will abandon him again. He's actually a lot more vulnerable than you might expect."

"If I ever see the bitch who dumped him just because he was adopted, I'm shooting her no questions asked," growled Dean. Hermione's betrayal had been the biggest blow to Gabriel's heart.

"Oh it gets even better. She's a witch."

"Which means my conscious will be clear when I shoot her," deadpanned Dean.

"Well I suppose insuring that the bushy-haired harpy gets what she deserves is worth manipulating the Brits," mused Loki evilly. He could get behind helping Dean get back at Hermione Granger, the two-faced harlot who hurt his Gabe.

* * *

"You two done flirting with each other?" Loki called out fifteen minutes later.

Gabriel flipped him off, to Fen's amusement.

"We got a location?"

"Considering what we know of yellow-eyes, and the fact he _told_ Jake where the Colt was...we think he's going to hit the Hell's Gate made by Samuel Colt," said Bobby, spreading the map.

"Makes sense...also explains why he stole that thing from Mr. Paranoid," said Gabriel.

There was a shout from outside, and everyone who was comfortable with a gun grabbed theirs and aimed it in the general direction of the shout.

Dean went out first...and found Ellen. The woman who they all believed dead because of the attack on the bar that killed everyone inside.

"How are you alive?" asked Gabriel.

"We ran out of pretzels," she deadpanned.

"She's clear," said Fen suddenly.

"You sure?" asked Bobby. Normally he would force a holy water test, but this guy had one hell of a nose. He knew without being told what Bobby had eaten in the past three days!

"Trust me, I know what a demon smells like. She's free of sulfur and demon taint, and she doesn't reek of feathers or that weird after-bite shifters have."

"Who is this guy?"

"Ellen, meet Fenrir. Yes, that Fenrir. Apparently he had been tracking the psychics too," said Gabriel dryly.

Gabriel had taken Loki with him once to Ellen's roadhouse.

If he hadn't had that illusion on him, he would have been shot on sight.

On the plus side, Ellen had gotten a 'prank-free' rule for her place from Loki and Gabriel...and a courtesy warning from the other Tricksters in exchange for being allowed to enter the place. Meaning she wouldn't have to worry about some idiot bringing a trickster to her place and having to clean up.

Though they still preferred Midnite's bar, if only because they didn't have to worry about the other hunters learning what Loki was and shooting him on principle.


	16. Chapter 16

Jake felt something he believed to be encroaching doom come down on him. It had started right after he shot the one person who knew what they were doing in that stupid tournament, and it had only grown worse.

Since the demon hadn't shown up, he could only assume they had killed it somehow. He hadn't stuck around because he knew they would have killed him on sight.

Still...this was a bad situation and the soldier knew it.

He could only hope once he opened this gate or whatever that someone would help him get back to where he had been and he could come up with a reasonable excuse for what happened... without looking like a complete lunatic.

* * *

"So...who gets to kill soldier boy? Because there is no way in heaven I am letting him get away with shooting me when I could have ended it without killing everyone else," said Gabriel.

"Count me out. I have no interest unless he tries to kill the Pack," said Fen immediately.

He was staying in Gabriel's "house" until this mess was over with. Since Gabriel had an infinite number of rooms and didn't mind if Fenrir stayed with them, the half-breed could finally live in a decent place without having to move all the time and have running hot water. Gabriel and Loki alone would cloak his presence in the house.

The pack that had already bonded to their Masters (Hunter, Spica, Hera, Hades, Kiba and Chesa) were all staying with Fenrir.

The rest Gabriel was hoping to set loose on the bastard who had just killed him.

"Yeah, well I want to have a...word...with the rat who cost me my soul and might set us up for the Apocalypse come early," growled Dean.

Sure, the fact he wasn't going to stay in the Pit forever was great, but the knowledge that once he broke enough to torture someone in hell he would essentially be breaking one of the locks on Satan's cage...yeah, he was pissed off about that.

Especially since the odds of Lilith coming out once that hell gate was open were too high for them to feel comfortable with. If she got out, then she might start breaking _more_ locks and Lucifer would get a quick ticket out of hell in short order.

There were a lot more demons who worshiped the former angel than there were hunters.

Sam wanted blood. Preferably Jake's blood for killing his brother.

But most of all he wanted to know what the hell he had felt going through him when Gabriel was brought back to life.

* * *

They had an hours drive and Sam had opted to take Gabriel's ride and let his brother rest in the Impala. He was more than mildly disturbed by the ideas Dean and Gabriel were coming up with for Jake.

"_So what's up Sammy?"_ asked Loki from the invisible side-car.

Gabriel's motorcycle had a side car that was invisible for several reasons. One, he didn't want to get pulled over for carrying his weapons in it. Two, it was easier to carry groceries and he could pack more in there. And three, whenever Loki wanted to ride with his boyfriend and didn't want to hold on, it made it easier for him to just lean back and relax.

And, as an added bonus, Loki had spelled the helmets so that they could communicate without having to deal with the wind in their ears or any feedback from electronics.

It had taken Sam two days to get used to the special helmets.

"_When Gabriel was brought back... I felt something weird pass through me. Something weird."_

"_Describe it for me."_

Sam told him. It had felt like something had been removed and placed into Gabriel...almost like a chain, or some link.

"_Sounds like whatever damage Azazel did to the twin bond was either fixed or replaced. Twins have a unique bond that, depending on how close they are, can bring forth unexpected abilities."_

"_Like what?"_

"_Telepathy is pretty common."_

Sam blinked. He had been getting this weird niggling in the back of his head. So, as an experiment, Sam sent a tentative poke at it.

He was right behind Dean, so he saw Gabe shot up in surprise before looking around. He sent another poke, this time more firm. Gabe turned around in his seat to look behind them at Sam and Loki.

_~Sam? If that isn't you poking me in the head, which is really bizarre by the way, I am going to brutally murder whoever's doing that.~_

_~I think something happened when we brought you back.~_ said Sam through this weird link.

Up in front of them, Dean asked Gabe something and he hooked a thumb behind them towards Sam's general direction. Sam noted with some surprise that the finger was pointing directly at him.

"_Correction...bringing Gabe back that way definitely fixed your connection."_

"_So what does this mean?"_

"_It means we're going to have a fun week of figuring out what remaking that connection also woke up."_

"_Joy."_

* * *

They got there in time to see Jake about to put the Colt into the slot.

Gabriel positioned his more feral hounds around the gate. Jake would have to kill them to get to it, and he couldn't see them. Besides...they wouldn't hesitate to kill him even if Gabriel hadn't told them to.

Jake looked between the two brothers, confusion evident in his face.

"I shot you in the heart," he said. It was clear he though that 'Sam' had two other twin brothers...or maybe he was a triplet.

"Yeah, next time you try to kill someone, make sure they don't have a crossroad demon on speed dial," deadpanned Gabriel.

Jake immediately went to that voice. Sam wasn't nearly as cynical as Gabriel, nor did he have a British-accented drawl.

"You made a deal? What about all that 'demons are evil' bullshit you fed me back there?"

"I'm a neutral, moron. Both sides tend to talk to me, above and below. And Crowley is one demon that honestly doesn't care so long as his deals are kept," said Gabe flatly.

There was a low growl behind Jake, and he was torn between turning to see what was making the sound and keeping his gun trained on Gabriel and his friends.

Gabriel's eyes suddenly went to white all over and Jake's body froze. He literally couldn't move.

Gabe had an echo quality to his voice as he spoke.

"**Next time you shoot someone, make sure that they don't totally outclass you in both powers or allies. Not that you'll have a chance when I'm through with you,"** said Gabe.

"See we had an argument over who got to 'repay' you for shooting Gabriel. So we agreed to a compromise... Gabe would pin you down and we would let his pets deal with you," said Dean.

"His...pets?"

Sam gave him an 'innocent' look.

"Didn't you know? Gabriel, the one you shot, is the leading breeder for specially raised hell hound breeds that normal people can't see. I've heard that the earlier generations are _especially_ vicious..." he said.

"And my pets aren't too happy that you shot me. So enjoy the next, of five minutes of your very short life," said Gabriel.

The growling was louder. Jake aimed the Colt at the first one he could...the general direction anyway. He fired, and there was a loud yelp as one of Gabriel's hounds was killed instantly. Behind him, the others all winced.

One thing that they had learned about hellhounds was that when the Pack sensed danger or they lost one of their own, they went into a veritable feeding frenzy.

Gabriel immediately snapped one of his special cages into place and they bolted the door behind them. He was so not going to try and keep the hounds from ripping Jake apart, let alone keeping them from killing them as well.

Ellen wisely looked away when she heard the first scream.

She might be a hunter but there were things even she would lose her lunch over...seeing a man ripped apart by hell hounds was one sight she would prefer not to witness just yet. Gabriel helpfully handed her some noise canceling headsets and passed them around.

The others waited until Gabriel gave them the all clear, Sam and Gabe passing the next ten minutes trying out the new telepathic connection they had recently noticed between them.

When the hell hounds had calmed down enough that Gabriel could control them again, he sent them back into their private cages to sleep off the meal he had just given them before unlocking the door.

"So what do we do now?"

"Now we get rid of this stupid gun once and for all and I'll take apart the bullets to see what the hell is so special about them," said Gabriel flatly.

No way was he letting this particular hell gate open if he just had to ruin the gun to keep it closed.

* * *

Gabe and Loki returned to the house and found Fenrir laughing ass off about something. It took Gabe a second to realize what it was before he snorted in open amusement.

It was one of the times he had bribed Loki into turning into a girl for a few hours...and in this particular instance he took great pleasure in mocking said 'girl' by calling her Gabrielle loudly.

Loki had pouted for _hours_ once he could think straight and watched the video later.

"You actually called him by the feminized version of his name and he didn't prank you?" said Fen laughing.

"Bah. He was still paying back for tricking me into drinking that gender-switching potion that lasted for two hours at the time."

Fen cracked up. He could get to like his father's new boyfriend.

* * *

"So I heard on from a reliable source that Dean is terrified of snakes," said Gabe grinning.

Sam had, as a way to see if Gabe could hear him from halfway across the US, told Gabe about an amusing story from when he was younger and traveling with John about a camping trip to kill a Wendigo (they had been too young to stay in the hotel alone and too far from Bobby's house) when a snake crawled into Dean's sleeping back and had mistaken his second head for something else.

Dean had woken up in time to find out that there was a snake in his pants (thankfully _not_ poisonous) and had been terrified of them since then.

According to Sam, that was roughly around the same time Dean started wearing the form-fitting jeans to prevent a repeat...he had been in a pair of sweat pants that day that were rather loose.

So yes, Gabe was cracking up.

In an effort to give Dean a good scare (and hopefully give Sam a break from Dean's insistence on having his fun _now_ before his year was up) Fen was taking Gabe to meet his younger brother Jor.

Hel was still running purgatory for God since someone had to run that place and keep the souls contained, so they couldn't visit her for now.

God, when Loki had accidentally run into him, had given his approval for the children he had made so long as they didn't disrupt the balance and actually did something for him. Hence why Hel was currently in purgatory generally keeping the place under control to a point, and why Fenrir was known as the patron saint of werewolves. Jörmungandr was keep an eye on a few things whenever he was awake enough to do so.

So here they were in some random North American town Gabe didn't bother to get the name of near a lake.

It took them five minutes to reach Jor, and another ten to wake him up by literally kicking him in the face.

Considering he was currently disguised as a large cropping of boulders (think like Draco did in the movie _Dragon Heart_ and you get the general idea of what Jörmungandr looked like) Gabriel felt perfectly justified for kicking him.

Fenrir certainly got a good chuckle out of it.

"I'm up already!" said Jor irritably. He took a deep whiff of the scent near his nose and complained "Really dad, you didn't _have_ to kick me like that just to wake me up!"

Fenrir started cracking up. Gabriel snorted himself. It was no surprise Jor had picked up on that particular scent...Loki had been particularly frisky before they left and he had to set one of the newer pups on him just to get him off his ass.

Fen had gotten a real laugh out of his father's cursing from the puppy biting his ass so hard.

"It's not dad Jor."

Jörmungandr glared at Gabe then as he said crossly "You do realize that you're just the right size for a snack, right?"

_**~You do realize that your father would be quite annoyed that you ate his current boyfriend, right?~**_Gabe cheerfully said in return in parseltongue.

One of the markers he had called in early from Crowley was to restore that particular gift when shortly after he had that piece in his head removed he found that it had gone with the soul. Apparently he had gotten the ability from Voldemort. Crowley had one-upped his request...he could now communicate in _any_ animal language.

Mostly because he wasn't going to deal with Gabriel's repeat requests for that particular ability.

"Your accent is atrocious."

"I blame the wizards myself. Idiots think it's a 'dark' gift because some morons keep using snakes as their 'symbol'."

"So why are you two here?"

"We wanted to know if you wanted to join in on a prank."

"No wonder dad likes you," said Jor dryly, "What's the prank?"

"My older brother is apparently terrified of snakes after one got into his pants when he was eight. So I figured what better way to prank him than by bringing one of the patron gods of snakes to meet him and then conversing in parseltongue in a room away?"

"Nice. I like it."

"We thought you might. You in?" grinned Fen.

"Hell, I'm bored. Why do you think I've been sleeping all the time?"

"Sweet. You don't mind dogs do you?"

Jor snorted, then after he turned into his human disguise (which looked disturbingly identical to the one he had seen in the show _Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok_, which made Gabe seriously question exactly HOW bored the brothers were to inspire the Japanese to make shows about them) before he nodded towards his brother.

"I had to live with him for several centuries, and he reeks of wet dog when it rains. I can handle a few dogs," said Jor.

"Any requests for your room? Traveling with us can be fun, and we have plenty of space. I can even make it like a tropical paradise if you want."

"This coming from the only magical with enough sense to have a holy water pool in the middle of his tent-house," said Fen snorting.

"A tent-house? You mean he actually knows how to use one the way it's supposed to be used?" asked Jor.

"It's more of a mansion surrounded by these weird cage things that keep almost anything supernatural or magical out. You never did explain that."

"Faraday cages. It makes it easier to sleep knowing that most supernatural things can't harass you in the middle of the night. Plus it gives me a reason to own all those dogs," said Gabriel.

"So...if you're Dad's current 'special friend' I believe is the popular term, how exactly did you meet?"

"He came looking for someone who happened to share his name and worked for demons intending to prank me, and I totally busted him because I could tell by his aura he wasn't really a pagan god like he claimed. It wasn't until Crowley bitched about me reeking of feathers and divinity that I realized what he was, and it took me a few minutes to narrow down which angel he was. Should have seen the look on his face when I called him out by his true name the next time I saw him," cackled Gabe.

Jor and Fen snorted in amusement. That would explain why someone as finicky as Loki had chosen a human hunter as his new 'friend'.

Anyone who could figure out who he was that fast had to be interesting enough for Loki.


	17. Chapter 17

Dean was in full on panic mode, and to make matters worse Sam and Bobby weren't helping at all.

He kept hearing _snakes_ (and having flashbacks of _Indiana Jones_ marathons) but he couldn't find them. There were even a few ominous rattles whenever had his back turned, and he didn't _dare_ look under anything for fear of being attacked.

Finally someone had enough and Sam fell over howling as Dean damn near pissed himself trying to find the snakes.

Bobby was chuckling a bit as well, if only because he had been clued in on the prank and the reasons why.

Dean twitched. It had taken him four _long_ agonizing hours before he found out the source of the hissing. During that time the sound kept getting closer and closer...until he finally busted Gabe and his new pranking buddy Jor speaking entirely in parseltongue just to freak him out.

Dean had refrained from shooting them both in the ass. He did punch them when Sam and Bobby started cracking up at his expense though.

"I hate you all," deadpanned Dean.

* * *

"OH GOD MY EYES! TURN IT OFF, TURN IT OFF!" shouted Dean loudly to get the attention of the entire house.

Gabriel took one look at the video Dean had popped in out of boredom at the hotel and looked at the two brothers who were cackling in the corner.

"Which one of you switched the labels?" he asked in honest curiosity.

"He did," snickered Fen. Jor didn't even try for innocent.

"Nice choice."

"My eyes! Someone give me some brain bleach!" yelled Dean as he frantically tried to turn off the VCR, or at least the TV.

What could cause Dean to have such a strong reaction?

What Dean had assumed was a girly porno had in fact been a recording of Loki and Gabe's more kinky fun time...a tape that involved one of them in a maid uniform and bondage gear. Dean would be scared for life seeing a look-a-like of Sam in that outfit.

Sam had gone out on a food run and had thus been spared the horror of seeing his twin in a bondage outfit.

Dean sighed with relief when he finally turned it off before it got too serious, though he was glaring at the two brothers.

"That was entirely uncalled for! Now I'll have to get shitfaced drunk to get that image out of my head!" he whined.

"Why? Hel certainly enjoyed raiding his collection of recordings," said Fen snickering.

"When did Hel get into the tent long enough to satisfy her yaoi addiction?" asked Gabriel amused.

"Dad's been letting her in. She said as long as she gets copies she'll give you guys any support you need. It's really boring in Purgatory and this is the first time she's had any real blackmail material on dad," said Jor.

"Next time I'll offer to let her watch and chose the scene," said Gabriel.

A note appeared above his head and with his old seeker reflexes he caught it.

"'I will so take you up on that. Hel~'" read Gabriel amused.

"Will someone _please_ wipe that memory out of my head?" said Dean.

Gabriel snickered before he obliviated the memory from Dean's head. Dean gave a deep sigh of relief...until Gabriel casually told him that he knew the counter charm. Dean threw a pillow at his younger brother. He was so going to get the other two back for that...that horrible prank.

* * *

Sam came back to find Dean glaring at the two in the corner and Gabriel still reading his book and wondered what they had done this time.

Unlike Loki, Jor and Fen didn't kill anyone with their pranks. However they could hold their own in the yearly Winchester prank war and they often teamed up against the Winchester trio.

Gabriel usually got Loki to back off by threatening make him sleep on the couch, but that didn't stop his sons...or Hel who occasionally supplied them with ideas.

John would have killed them on sight, but even Dean had to admit it was more fun having the two with them, and it was nice to have back up for a change.

"What did they do now?" he asked.

"They swapped the crappy third-rate girl on girl with one of mine," deadpanned Gabe.

Sam flinched. He didn't care about Gabe and Loki, but he would prefer _not _to see any of his twin's weird kinks...or worse, Loki's.

If Sam thought Loki was bad when he was missing Gabriel during a switch, he hadn't counted on Loki's sons being as bad as he was.

Fenrir was kept happy with Gabriel's more feral hounds who saw him as their new alpha. Gabriel could care less, since now that he knew how many generations it took to breed out the more violent nature he had little use for the more feral ones outside of dealing with the more irritating pests that came near his house.

Jor was another matter entirely.

* * *

Sam was bored, so he popped in a random tape. He quickly spit out his drink when he realized he had grabbed one of his brother's home-made videos. If that wasn't enough, Jor happened to be passing by and a mischievous grin found it's way on his face.

Sam quickly sputtered as he felt unfamiliar hands around his shoulders.

"Hoping to star in your own video?" asked Jor with a purr.

Sam's face was flaming red as he tried in vain to turn the video off before he saw too much.

"It's not what you think!" said Sam as he finally got the video to shut off.

"Oh? And what is it that you think I'm thinking?" asked Jor grinning wider.

Sam sputtered and looked for anything to get out of this mess. Unfortunately the only one around was Loki, who had walked in halfway and was too busy laughing at Sam's predicament.

Finally Fenrir came into the house and Sam bolted out the door.

"What just happened?" asked Fen.

Jor and Loki cackled in unison.

Gabriel, when he found Sam in with the still somewhat feral spirit hounds, was entirely unsympathetic.

"What the hell did you expect from a snake? I swear the entire species is full of perverts and Jor is one of their patron gods," said Gabriel.

"You could have warned me about that!"

"There's a reason why snakes are often considered symbols of male virility idjit," said Gabe deadpan.

Sam just blushed even more. Then Gabe said something that had Sam throwing one of the hound's chew toys at him.

"So...did you like the tape? Loki said you grabbed one of the more tame ones."

If Sam hadn't been blushing before, he would have at that comment. Some of the things he had seen... Even Dean wouldn't blame him for that!

* * *

If Dean had thought it was bad enough being subjected to Loki and Gabe's home made videos, that was nothing compared to what he found when he finally decided to ask Gabe for help while Sam relaxed.

"WHAT THE HELL?!"

Jor was doing his best to make Sam blush, and from how red his face was it was working.

"Yo."

"Dude, what...the...hell?"

"Jor seems to have taken a liking to Sam...or he's starting an ongoing prank. Haven't figured out which just yet," shrugged Gabriel. Either way Loki still found it hilarious.

"Why?" Dean asked Jor.

"Dad taught us never to discriminate between genders. If we like them, then a little thing like gender shouldn't stop us," shrugged Fen.

"Like that ever stopped you, Mr. Supreme-Alpha-of-ALL-Dogs," said Loki snorting.

"Again, why is he after Sam and not Gabriel?" asked Dean, though he had to admit, once he was over his shock it was pretty funny to see the look on Sam's face.

He didn't care about Gabriel batting for the home team, so if Sam happened to like Jor that way he had no issues with it.

Just meant more ladies for him.

"Gabriel's already claimed. One of the rules among our family is that we don't go after anyone taken by someone else. Though god forbid if the other partner falls for someone else in the family...dear lord the pouting from Dad alone..." said Fen rolling his eyes.

More than one girl or guy had decided to get away from Loki and go after his children. He _always_ moped for weeks before someone else caught his attention.

Gabriel was actually the longest they had seen anyone last in years.

"Sounds fair to me," said Dean.

"What did you need?"

"Thought I would take Gabriel out on a hunt instead of Sam for once. I swear this 'house' of yours is becoming just as much of a home base as Bobby's," said Dean.

Sam gave him a betrayed look.

"Which reminds me, I heard about this weird thing happening at Christmas," said Gabriel.

"How weird?"

"As in people being eaten and teeth found in the fireplace weird," said Gabriel.

Dean perked up. Sounded like a job for Team Winchester!

* * *

Dean was inwardly cursing. They had come to some no name town to find the thing killing people on Christmas, only to be captured by a pair of pagan deities that weren't even worshiped anymore.

Gabriel was having the worst of it, from what Dean could tell. Something about this whole situation was setting him off in the worst possible way, and Dean was already trying to get Loki's attention through prayer. Either Loki wasn't paying attention, or he was being blocked.

It was when the woman removed one of Gabe's fingernails that things went pear-shaped...for the gods that is.

Gabe's eyes went whiter than snow as his powers broke free of what little control he had. The two gods were slammed hard against the wall as he started reliving his year of torture with the Death Eaters. Just because Loki kept his memories of those days at a minimum never meant he stopped all the flashbacks. Gabriel still had nightmares of that time.

And by strapping him down like that, these idiots had set off his flashback of that horrible year. All the betrayals, the pain, the sheer horror of what he had been through... his mind retreated and his power reacted to the danger.

By the time they were dead and Dean had managed to get free of the bindings, Gabriel's mind had retreated into itself to protect him from the pain. It was a rather common way to escape torture if one was subjected to it long enough, but were too stubborn to give in.

Dean counted himself lucky Gabriel at least recognized him as someone who didn't want to hurt him...the last thing he wanted was to be blasted to bits like those gods had been when they got too close to his baby brother.

"Dammit Gabe! Wake up! They're dead already!" shouted Dean. He had to snap Gabriel out of it before the cops came to investigate. Gabriel hadn't exactly been _quiet_ when he shredded the bastards.

Dean finally remembered something Loki had told him in the event Gabe had a relapse.

If he had no other choice, then pray to the arch angel who delivered God's message to the three wise men when God's only son was born.

Now Dean wasn't as smart as Sam or Gabe, but from what he remembered of the old tales the name of the angel who spoke to the wise men was Gabriel. The same angel his brother was named after.

He was really out of options, so Dean decided to give it a shot. It wasn't like the angel would respond, right?

_**Gabriel, if you're listening I need help. My brother is having a relapse and I have no idea what to do to save him.**_

Dean stayed close to his brother when he heard what sounded far too much like massive wings behind him.

"Wow... what the hell did they do to piss him off that much?"

"Loki? What the hell? I sent you like a hundred prayers yet when I sent one to Gabriel you show up?!" said Dean recognizing that voice immediately.

Turning around revealed Loki the Trickster. Why did he answer a prayer _now_ instead of earlier before Gabe retreated inside his head?

"I'll explain later. Right now we've got to get you two out... I saw the cops heading this way. Where's the car?"

"At the hotel," said Dean.

"You had better explain why Gabe's suffering a relapse now of all times after we get the hell out of here," said Loki seriously. He had thought Gabe was over most of that torture, at least enough not to go into survival mode like this.

Loki sent the car to the house, where it automatically shrank and went into the area Gabe had designated for Dean to tinker with his baby. He then got them out of there mere seconds before the cops burst into the house. They would find chunks of the owners, but not a single shred of evidence of who had been bound to the chairs.

* * *

"Explain, now."

"We were tied up and about to be eaten when one of the bastards ripped Gabe's nail out. Next thing I know, Gabe's breathing was erratic and the two gods were thrown into the wall. Once they managed to get up, they tried to knock him out only to be shredded by him. Why the hell didn't you answer the prayers I sent earlier?!" demanded Dean.

"Who did you direct them to?"

"Loki," said Dean immediately.

"That's why. I almost never answer prayers directed to my Trickster side."

"What do you mean Trickster side?" demanded Dean.

"Seriously? You haven't figured it out yet?" asked Sam openly amused.

He had figured out Loki was really Gabriel the arch angel months ago. He had assume Dean had figured it out too. And it wasn't too hard to figure out why Gabe insisted on calling him 'Lo' instead of by his real name...having two Gabriel around would be confusing.

"In any case I'm going to have to break Gabe out of his flashback before he hurts himself. I'm not surprised he retreated into his mind if he was about to be faced with torture..." said Loki.

"He has PTSD doesn't he?" asked Dean.

"He was the communal training tool for the newly minted Death Eaters to learn torture for a year and a half. And that was after his so called friends left him in a ditch to die when it came out he was adopted. What the hell do you think?" said Loki flatly.

Gabriel's biggest fear was being betrayed like before. It had taken some serious heart to heart talks before he realized that Loki wasn't going to leave him like his closest friends had before. And that was before England tried to bring him back by force using that ritual that brought them closer than just friends.

Loki had Gabriel on the reclining chair facing him. His boyfriend's eyes were dilated and his breathing erratic. He carefully placed a hand on Gabriel's forehead and channeled his Grace into him. Slowly Gabe's breathing went back to normal and his eyes started to gain focus again.

Without warning he slumped into Loki's arms and fell straight asleep.

"Well?"

"He'll be fine. Just let him get some real sleep and he should be back to normal when he wakes up," said Loki, stroking Gabe's hair.

Dean relaxed.

This had been too close for his comfort. He never wanted to see Gabe in that situation again.


End file.
